Entrepreneurial Equity Partners (“e2p”), a private equity firm focused on the food, beverage, and pet industries, announced today the sale of Fund II portfolio company, Furlani Foods (“Furlani” or the “Company”) to Arbor Investments (“Arbor”). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
With more than 40 years of experience, Furlani has earned a reputation for crafting premium specialty garlic breads, toast, and breadsticks for North America’s top retailers and foodservice operators. Furlani’s unique production capabilities deliver consistent, homemade-quality products, positioning Furlani as a preferred national partner for customers across its branded and private label portfolio. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Furlani operates four production facilities in Canada and the U.S. e2p invested in the business in May 2023, alongside the Kawaja family. Jonathan Kawaja has served as CEO for nearly 10 years and will continue in his role following the transaction.
During e2p’s ownership, Furlani successfully added significant manufacturing capacity, which further strengthened the Company’s technological edge. In addition, the team executed a strategic add-on acquisition that expanded capacity, deepened customer relationships, and added complementary product capabilities, resulting in a comprehensive, high-quality product portfolio.
e2p Partner Ryan Schweet commented, “It has been a pleasure working alongside Jonathan and the entire Furlani team over the past three years. We have admired the team’s vision and disciplined execution, which provided rapid capacity expansion without sacrificing the Company’s unwavering commitment to quality. Furlani has built a longstanding reputation for producing premium specialty garlic breads, and we are excited to see the Company continue its next phase of growth.”
Furlani CEO Jonathan Kawaja commented, “Selecting e2p as our investment partner was a defining decision for Furlani. Their industry and investment expertise, partnership approach, and strong reputation with founder and family-owned businesses exceeded our expectations. e2p provided both flexible capital and strategic insight to advance our long-term vision. We are grateful for their partnership and look forward to continuing Furlani’s tradition of producing homemade-tasting garlic bread.”
FTI represented Furlani as its financial advisor, and Norton Rose Fulbright, LLP acted as legal counsel to the Company in the transaction.