Cascade produces around 50 million pounds of coffee annually from its 150,000sq ft roastery | Photo credit: Wisnu Dwi Wibowo

Chicago-based private equity firm LaSalle Capital has announced an investment in Cascade Coffee to support the private label coffee roaster’s next phase of growth.  
 

Launched in 1995, Washington-based Cascade is one of the largest coffee roasting and packaging companies in the US and produces around 50 million pounds of coffee annually from its 150,000sq ft manufacturing and roasting facility.  

Cascade’s operations include six Probat batch roasters and 17 packaging lines for its retail, foodservice and grocery store clients. 

“Cascade have developed a best-in-class operation that we are looking forward to supporting through their next stage of growth,” said David Murav, Partner at LaSalle Capital. 

The details of the investment were not disclosed, but the deal has seen former investor Westward Partners exit the business after four years. 

In a press release, LaSalle said Cascade Coffee CEO John Gilbert will continue in his role. 

“We are excited to embark on what we are calling ‘Cascade 3.0,’ where we plan to further expand our capabilities and build Cascade into the pre-eminent partner for coffee brands. LaSalle is the right partner for this next chapter at Cascade, and we look forward to leveraging their expertise in food & beverage manufacturing and alignment with management to help us achieve our goals,” Gilbert said.  

Cascade Coffee was formed as a spin-off business of Millstone Coffee in 1995 when the latter was acquired by manufacturing giant Proctor & Gamble. Millstone became part of J.M. Smucker’s retail coffee portfolio in 2008 before being discontinued in 2016 due to a lack of consumer demand. 

LaSalle Capital’s investment portfolio is focused on lower middle market food and beverage brands, including snack manufacturers Great Lakes Potato Chips and Westminster Foods, premium frozen pasta maker Joseph’s Gourmet Pasta and microgreens grower Fresh Origins.