US brewer FIFCO USA is being renamed North American Breweries (NAB) following its acquisition by private-equity firm Saothair Capital Partners.
Saothair said yesterday (3 September) it had completed the purchase of CCR American Holdings, Inc., which trades as FIFCO USA, from Heineken subsidiary Distribuidora La Florida.
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Financial terms were not disclosed.
Costa Rica-based Florida Ice and Farm Company (FIFCO) acquired the business under the NAB name in 2012 and renamed it FIFCO USA in 2018, according to local reports at the time.
The Rochester, New York-based business’ return to the NAB name is intended to “better align the company’s identity with the deep regional heritage of its brand portfolio”, Saothair said.
The transaction follows Heineken’s $3.2bn acquisition of the remaining 75% of FIFCO’s drinks and retail arm Distribuidora La Florida, which closed in the first half of 2026.
When unveiling that deal in September last year, the Dutch brewer said FIFCO USA was being assessed separately as part of “strategic alternatives”.
Rich Lozyniak, Saothair co-founder and operating partner, said: “I couldn’t be more excited about this next chapter for North American Breweries.”
Lozyniak, who worked as CEO at NAB from 2009 to 2014, added: “Having led this business myself, I know firsthand what makes NAB special. Our focus is to provide the stability and resources this organisation needs to keep serving its employees, customers and communities well into the future.”
The brewer operates out of the Genesee Brewery in New York state, which Saothair described as “one of the oldest and largest continually operating breweries in the US”.
It brews, packages, markets and sells beer and ready-to-drink beverages in the US through an independent wholesaler network. Its branded portfolio includes Labatt, Genesee, and Seagram’s Escapes.
The business also imports Costa Rica’s Imperial beer into the US and provides contract brewing for beer and other alcoholic drinks. It employs 700 people.
Peter Bodenham, a former NAB executive, has been appointed CEO. He has more than 25 years of commercial experience spanning InBev, NAB and Sleeman Breweries.
He held senior marketing roles at NAB and its predecessor between 2007 and 2014, including as vice-president of marketing from 2009 to 2014.
In the statement, Bodenham said: “We will continue to invest in the Genesee Brewery and the brands that define this [NAB’s] portfolio.”
The site includes a new brewhouse, filters and fermentation tanks, a dedicated cold block facility and a high-speed canning line.
