Vancouver BC-based platform
Billy Goat Brands Ltd. (
CSE: GOAT,
OTCQB: BGTTF,
Forum) is focused on making investments into high-potential companies operating in the ocean economy. The company is positioned to identify, incubate, and invest in companies with Environmental, Social & Governance (“
ESG”) values while providing actionable insights to its partners through the introduction of services and capital.
The company contributes to the sustainability of the planet by investing in the plant-based food space for the good of future generations. Billy Goat Brands has executed three separate investments multiple verticals – plant-based protein, functional food and food technology.
Recently, shares of Billy Goat Brands (GOAT) have commenced trading on the
OTCQB market under the symbol BGTTF.
Stockhouse Media’s Dave Jackson recently caught up with the company’s CEO Tony Harris to get our investor audience up to date on all things GOAT.
(CLICK IMAGE TO PLAY VIDEO)
TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
SH: What are some new company developments we could update Billy Goat shareholders about, and what has really excited your team so far?
TH: Yeah, thanks Dave. Well, I think that what I'm most excited about right now is the progress that's been happening at our portfolio companies to name a few. Evanesce packaging, which we are delighted to be almost doubling our stake in presently this month actually, as they march towards a public offering probably later this year and the developments at Sophie's kitchen, which is experiencing resounding positive feedback to its new products and explosive sort of growth opportunities in food service and in retail as well as our cold coffee line which is launching as well this quarter. We have so many exciting things happening at the company and we're looking forward to sharing these updates with our investors.
SH: Earlier this month, your portfolio company – Evanesce Packaging Solutions – stated that it increased its production capacity with the expansion to two production facilities in the U-S. What’s the expectation of the kind of growth this could lead to in the coming quarters?
TH: Yeah, this packaging industry is enormous and ready for disruption. The US uses over 500 million plastic straws every single day. The market's expected to be 470 billion by 2027 and Evanesce is perfectly positioned with its biodegradable plant-based straws and biopolymer packaging solutions that will disrupt plastics and Styrofoam with alternatives. Plus their factory in South Carolina is already rocking and rolling and growing rapidly adding additional lines and equipment and they're about to open their new location in Nevada, which will again, allow them to expand. The bottom line is the demand exceeds their ability to supply it and that's a great position to be in. The products to have a real positive mouth feel unlike the paper straws that just kind of fall apart after a few minutes and a drink but they're not just a straw company.
They're doing so much in packaging and they're so well run, so well capitalized. We were just delighted for the opportunity to participate in an incentive warrant program, as I said, that allows us to nearly double our stake in the company and obviously as they march towards a liquidity event with their revenues compounding at shocking rates we feel really positive about that investment being a great validator for our business model, which is to invest in expansion stage companies with ESG values ultimately supporting them to when they achieve their liquidity event and as we say, rising tide lifts all ships and along the way, our investors get exposure to these companies that otherwise they wouldn't by way of buying Billy Goat stock. So, we're excited about where Evanesce is going and their prospects and we feel very positive about management, about their growth and how well they're executing and the demand for their products is really strong.
SH: Sophie's Kitchen has recently rebranded with a new logo and has added to its wide range of plant-based seafood products to include plant-based burgers. Can you tell us where Sophie's Kitchen is headed and any future growth plans for the company?
TH: Yeah, Sophie's has done a wonderful job with their R&D, reimagining their product lines. They've been working very closely with their partner South Wind Foods, which is one of the largest distributors of seafood products in the United States and multi-generational family who obviously has a deep experience in food service and retail else. They selected Sophie's Kitchen to be their plant-based partner. It's a sort of a match made in heaven to our way of thinking and together the teams have been working on new products that will really connect with the marketplace. So, you've got the intensity and the growth and the vision on the Sophie's side matching with the experience in the steady hand of the South Wind team and the Galetti family and the products that they've been rolling out and will continue to our first class – they have excellent protein, they're non-GMO, soy-free vegan.
The burgers that were announced are focused on the fish space. So there are variety of different fishless burgers and we'll be moving into food service, and retail aggressively in the back half of this year with this new product line. The company's at Expo West next week. Some other really exciting prospects on the horizon that'll become public in the near future. So yeah, just very impressed with the R&D, the execution. The branding refresh looks excellent. The packaging tweaks are really thoughtful and we think that retailers and food service alike is well they already are and will continue to respond favorably to what's happening at Sophie’s Kitchen.
SH: Shifting focus to another of your portfolio companies – FunGuys Beverages – they’re bringing its KOLD line of cold-brewed coffee beverages to market. What can you tell us about this brand and where it is headed?
TH: Yeah, you bet. We incubated KOLD from the ground up. We've developed a world class cold-coffee beverage with the help of our teammate, Strother Simpson who's arguably the number one formulator of coffee beverages in America. His father invented that. They together have been involved in the development of coffee beverages for every big brand you can imagine, and we were honored when Strother saw our vision to make a world class functional cold-coffee beverage that has ESG values woven right into its ethos and what we mean by that is we package both our concentrate and our ready to drink product in glass packaging with aluminum torque tops. It's the most ubiquitously recyclable material for packaging you can have but moreover, we partnered with Loop – which is disrupting the idea of packaging entirely by partnering with brands who can sell products in packaging that gets returned to Loop and then in turn return to the company itself.
So in our case, people will be able to either recycle their glass bottles or return them through the Loop program, they'll get washed and then they get used again in our packaging chain. So we are launching direct consumer in the United States this quarter with our online store, as well as partnering with Loop as they roll out their Loop locations in retailers across America, they've partnered with Kroger's Walgreens, Giant, and many others. So we're working on partnering on those individual programs to get our products into those locations and more on that to come as well as direct consumer and products will be available here in Canada shortly as well. So we're pleased with the program. Our President, Zaki Mohammad, has done a wonderful job stewarding along and we think that our shareholders are going to be excited to see the products come to life and become available in the very near term.
SH: The company has received strong support from private equity and the company looks set for strong growth in 2022. How are you placed to continue growing your investment portfolio?
TH: Yeah, you bet. I mean, there's been no better time to buy Billy Goat Brands than today. Obviously it's been an interesting last few months but fundamentally our company is positioned for growth because we've already made some wonderful investments in companies that we think have tremendous upside and as I've said before, the Billy Goat story is really one of getting proxy to expansion stage companies with ESG values that otherwise you can't invest in, because they're privately held and as we assist them in growing and them ultimately achieving their liquidity event whether it's private sale or public listing or just indeed being a successful company that declares dividends. We will see our balance sheet improve by way of the value of our portfolio companies improving and as they sell, then we, we also enjoy liquidity events ourselves.
So, Billy Goat really is a long-term play in the sort of venture capital space. So it's a neat concept and I think people can look forward to watching our portfolio companies not only grow but also see us continue to invest in new and exciting companies that fit our ocean economy theme and we're not just a company that's focused on plant-based or packaging. We sort of look at through a lens of how we want our companies to have a positive impact on the oceans. We think the health of the ocean is ultimately the health of the planet and if we can identify companies that are growth minded and we believe are disruptive and have the ability to have a positive impact on the oceans and also have strong economic outcomes. Those are the type of business is that we look at, we see a lot of deal flow, Dave. We're excited to continue to grow both by way of additional investments but also in terms of helping our existing portfolio companies grow as well.
SH: GOAT’s shares recently graduated to the OTCQB market. Can you talk a bit about the benefit this brings to your company and the new reaches of exposure?
TH: Absolutely. I mean, if it's a big milestone for the company to be listed south of the border, there's obviously a lot more investors in the United States than there are here in Canada where we are honored by the support of our Canadian investors but of course we want to broaden our shareholder base and we believe that a lot of the retail investors that are aligned with our ESG values and our ocean economy themes will really connect with our philosophy. So as we start to create more awareness around Billy Goat in the United States, we anticipate that that'll create more buying and ultimately a broader shareholder base and I think that's great for everybody involved in the company. So we're enthusiastic to start to create that aware in the United States this spring and to continue to make people aware of why they should invest in Billy Goat Brands today for the long haul.
SH: In the near term, through the rest of the year, what kind of future development and progress can company shareholders and potential investors expect from Billy Goat?
TH: Well, I mean, as I said already in the interview, I think there's a lot of exciting things happening both with KOLD and Sophie's Kitchen on the food side but also with Evanesce Packaging they have been talking about a liquidity event as I said, we've just participated in an incentive warrant with them, which is allowing us to nearly double our position in the company. Sophie's Kitchen has some really exciting things happening both on food service and at retail, expanding their product line, expanding their distribution with the help of the Galetti family, which have a massive sales force and sell their products and 20,000 stores in the United States and they're laser focused on assisting Sophie's Kitchen in growing and of course with, with KOLD launching to the marketplace that's all very exciting stuff.
Now, we also see a lot of deal flow and we're always looking for new and interesting companies in the ESG line of thinking in the ocean economy that suit our investment ethos. So we'll continue to expand our portfolio when we see prudent and exciting opportunities come along and what our investors can rest assure it is that we got a steady hand on the wheel with our management and a lot of dynamic thinkers and we'll continue you to look for the next best thing in this space. So buy Billy Goat now and join us for the ride.
SH: Looking further out, in the fiscal quarters and years ahead, what’s the long-term strategy for the company and what should retail and institutional investors be looking out for?
TH: We just think that the investment ethos we have around high-growth companies in the ocean economy and the ESG-minded theme is going to grow and grow and grow and we will continue to identify, invest in, and incubate companies that meet our criteria. Ultimately, we anticipate having a broad portfolio of companies at different stages of their growth. So while some are being incubated, others are achieving liquidity events and our vision for Billy Goat is to continue to broaden and strengthen our portfolio companies and just achieve more and more wins and allow investors to get exposure to interesting companies that are in ever evolving space on the bleeding edge of solving for some of the greatest challenges of our time. So this is not a single company play here. Billy Goat indeed is looking at broad sets of companies and in different sectors and we roll up our sleeves and get to work alongside of them. So always new and exciting and interesting things happening with our portfolio companies and I think if people are interested in having exposure to that then we're definitely somewhere that they should be considering investing.
SH: And finally, is there anything else you’d like to touch base on?
TH: Thanks a lot. You can follow us at
billygoatbrands.com, you can follow us on Twitter and Instagram and we encourage you to join us in the journey.
For regular company updates, visit
billygoatbrands.com.
FULL DISCLOSURE: This is a paid article produced by Stockhouse Publishing.