Duke Cannon Announces Strategic Growth Investment from Main Post Partners

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Dec 10, 2020, 07:30 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Cannon, a fast-growing men's grooming company, announced today it has received a strategic growth investment from Main Post Partners, a leading private equity investment firm with deep experience partnering with high growth consumer brands.

Founded in 2011 by Anthony Albanese and Sam Swartz and led by CEO Ryan O'Connell, Duke Cannon provides hard working men with high quality, premium grooming goods at accessible prices. From its News Anchor Hair Line to THICK Body Wash to Grunt Foot Powder, the company offers a full regimen of innovative, award winning products that help a man groom well from head to toe. Born as a DTC business, Duke Cannon quickly gained footing in independent and specialty retailers like Carhartt, Duluth Trading Co., and Ace Hardware, with recent expansion into over 30,000 doors of the nation's leading food, drug, and mass retailers such as Target, H.E.B., Hy-Vee, CVS, and Walgreens. Rooted in military history, the brand continues to gain inspiration from active duty soldiers and donates a portion of its profits to causes that benefit veterans.

"We launched this brand for one reason: we were unhappy with the men's grooming options available at the time. We did not believe the teenage-targeted body wash brands from the big companies reflected the values of decent, hard-working men, and other challenger brands seemed to take themselves way too seriously. With Duke Cannon, we needed to employ a different playbook, so we built a brand grounded in functionality, fun, and purpose. This unique approach has led to a sizable and fast growing legion of deeply loyal fans," said Sam Swartz, Co-Founder and Vice President of Marketing.

"We have long admired the brand that Sam, Anthony and Ryan have built and are believers in the quality of their products and mission driven purpose of the brand. Duke Cannon is disrupting this large category and we are excited to support the team as they grow their base of loyal customers both online and in-store," said Jeff Mills, Managing Partner, Main Post Partners. "We could not be more excited to partner with Main Post. They really got our brand, culture, and mission and they have traveled the road ahead," said Anthony Albanese, Co-Founder and Vice President of Innovation. Matt Short, a Principal at Main Post Partners, added "The Duke Cannon team should be exceptionally proud of what they have built and we share the team's conviction that the best is yet to come."

Main Post is partnering with existing shareholders including management, the Founders and original shareholder, Wayzata Brands CEO Jeff Breazeale. Also joining as both an investor and board member is Drew Fraser, Former CEO of Method and Ecover, both pioneering environmentally clean, home care brands.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to Duke Cannon, Morrison & Foerster served as the exclusive legal advisor to Main Post Partners, and Faegre Drinker served as the exclusive legal advisor to Duke Cannon.

About Duke Cannon
Duke Cannon Supply Co. provides superior-quality grooming goods designed to better the day of hard-working men. Products include soaps and deodorants, shave gels and balms, beard goods, colognes, and other essentials to get a man clean, feeling good, and smelling great. From Target to Tractor Supply, and Carhartt to ULTA.com, Duke Cannon goods are available in more than 30,000 retail locations where men (or the women who buy for them) shop. The company also donates a portion of proceeds to causes benefitting veterans. Experience the brand at www.dukecannon.com.

For more information, please visit www.dukecannon.com or connect with the brand on Instagram and Facebook.

About Main Post Partners
Main Post Partners is a private equity investment firm focused on investing in proven growth companies across the consumer value chain. Main Post Partners invests in both majority and minority positions primarily in first institutional capital situations where founders, entrepreneurs and management teams are looking for an experienced partner to help build their companies to full potential. With a "Partnership, not Ownership" approach, Main Post Partners works closely with a network of successful executives to provide operational and strategic support to its management partners. Main Post Partners was named to Inc.'s list of The 50 Best Private Equity Firms for Entrepreneurs.

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SOURCE Main Post Partners