US wholesaler Breakthru Beverage Group has agreed to purchase J.J. Taylor Companies' beer wholesale business in Minnesota for an undisclosed sum. The transaction, announced this week, is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks, after which Breakthru will move part of its portfolio, comprising around 65 domestic and imported beers, to the J.J. Taylor warehouse in Minnesota, The family-owned beer wholesaler currently operates a 600,000-square-foot warehouse in north-east Minneapolis. The deal with J.J. Taylor and subsequent access to its storage facilities will strengthen Breakthru’s position in the north of the US and Canada. “There’s great synergy between our companies in Minnesota,” said Breakthru CEO Tom Bené. “This combination will dramatically enhance operations in the Twin Cities and reinforces our commitment to this market as we deploy our full suite of best-in-class capabilities and digital resources to help supplier and customer partners better reach their target consumers and drive results.” Breakthru is a US alcohol wholesaler with annual sales in the region of US$5bn and a portfolio of around 6,000 alcohol brands. Last year, the company appointed former PepsiCo president of food services Tom Bené as its CEO. Just Drinks’ Mergers & Acquisitions round-up – February 2022