TPG, a global alternative asset firm, announced it has sold its stake in Myanmar Distillery Company Group (“MDC”) to Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (“Thai Beverage”).
Myanmar’s leading whisky producer was acquired by one of Asia’s largest spirits groups, according to a press release on October 12.
MDC is the largest spirits company in Myanmar and is the producer of Grand Royal, the nation’s leading whisky brand.
 
The Grand Royal brand employs more than 2,500 staff and supports local businesses through its network reaching 1,300 wholesalers and over 20,000 retailers. Founded in 1995, MDC produces and sells a broad range of spirits including whisky and gin. It operates two distilling, blending, and bottling facilities in Yangon and Mandalay.
 
“When we invested in MDC, we were excited to be partnering with a market leader that had an experienced management team and an extensive, nationwide network. TPG was pleased to have had an opportunity to support them and introduce new initiatives to improve operations and earnings in areas such as lean manufacturing, e-procurement and branding. These initiatives resulted in considerable growth in the business over a short period of time,” said Ganen Sarvananthan, Partner at TPG. “We’ve also been able to leverage our network of senior advisors – in this case, Paul Walsh and Thura Ko Ko – to drive value at the local level through their deep regional knowledge and global industry expertise. The investment from Thai Beverage, one of Asia’s leading spirits groups, is a testament to MDC’s extensive platform and strong management team. We wish them continued success as they secure further opportunities with their new partners.”
 
MDC marks TPG’s second investment in Myanmar, following the firm’s investment in Apollo Towers in 2014. Since then, Apollo has received additional support, including a long-term financing facility from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) in 2016. The firm’s other investments in Southeast Asia have included 8990, BFI Finance, Property Guru, and Vietnam Australia International School.
TPG is a leading global alternative asset firm founded in 1992 with more than $73 billion of assets under management and offices in Austin, Beijing, Boston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, and Singapore. TPG’s investment platforms are across a wide range of asset classes, including private equity, growth venture, real estate, credit, and public equity. TPG aims to build dynamic products and options for its investors while also instituting discipline and operational excellence across the investment strategy and performance of its portfolio.