Shockwave in Quebec’s beer world: debt-ridden, Triani reorganizes

Five Quebec microbrewers have been waiting months for $3 to $5 million owed to them by their distributor, Transbrew. The latter announced the end of its sales and representation operations on Monday morning.

• Also Read: Triani owed him $1.2 million, and he walked out the door

Its owner – the Triani Group – indicates in a press release that it will “focus only on distribution”.

The Journal revealed on Saturday that Transbroue will no longer pay its suppliers – Brewers – from summer.

Paul Brissett in Joliet is waiting for a $1.2 million check. The contract between his brewery L’Alchimiste and Transbroue has been broken since November 8.

Brasserie Générale is seeking $154,225 from the company in a lawsuit, while À l’abri de la storm brewery, $141,403. Four others are asking for another $339,372.

Even former Dragon Nicolas Duvernois knows this song. Poor Vodka’s creator didn’t think the couple behind Triani, who owned Transbrew for 15 months, would see more than $1 million owed to him.

Tristan Bourgeois Cousineau, 32, and Joanie Couture, 33, have battled reputations in the beer world.

They are axing their new acquisition, they pleaded on Monday, due to the “difficulties experienced by Transbrew” and the “difficult financial context”.

They are expressing concern that the sales of beer have declined.

Four microbreweries are under contract with the distributor at the time of the announcement: Shelton, 4 Origins, L’Espace Publique and Mons Regius.

It is not known at this time how much they owe Transbroyu.

“They don’t care about the world”

Transbroue summoned all its employees at 8 a.m. Monday. Tristan Bourgeois Cousineau has announced, among other things, that he will soon make an offer to unpaid partners, according to a reliable source.

Triani responded to this article Newspaper In a letter on Saturday titled “Being an Entrepreneur in an Age of Intimidation and Misinformation.”

“I sincerely regret that companies have gone to the extent of washing their dirty linen in the public square and more. […] By directly attacking people. It’s vicious and dishonest,” Johnny Couture wrote.

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All employees of the Triani Group – which includes Transbroiu – received the letter on Saturday morning. The email also included a press release published on Monday.

The couple was not alone in expressing heartfelt cries. A former employee of Transbrew did just that.

“They have not even paid our bonuses since they arrived, the bonuses that are in our contracts,” confided the man we confirmed.

Tristan and Joanie, he writes, are destroying Transbrew.

“All this in less than a year! Desperation is at its peak,” said a member of the company’s old guard in disgust.

Always in the court premises…

With Transbrew in 2022, Triani also acquired the Glutenberg Group – Glutenberg, Oschlag and Vox Populi breweries.

Caisse de dépôt put up $2.5 million for 20% of the group in 2017, valuing David Cayer and Julien Niquet’s company at $12 million.

At the time of the sale, Triani paid Kai’s ruby ​​on the nail. The 50 small shareholders — including the two founders — didn’t get everything: Triani still owns a little more than $1 million.

Since then, shareholders have been suing Trayani. They sued in retaliation for providing misleading information.

“They blame us for the outstanding debts. They didn’t do their checks. The best thing that can happen is that they go bankrupt,” maintains a former shareholder of Transbrew.

Tristan and Joni are accustomed to lawsuits, with at least 20 SMEs attacking them in court since 2019. In Saint-Eustache, René Huard had much to say on this subject.

“They are victims of everyone. It’s so unfair,” says the owner of the Simple Malt Brewery with humor, Calimero, a charming but unfortunate little black chick.

Triani owes him $400,000, he contends in a three-year-old lawsuit.

“Triani first sued Simple Malt in 2020,” Joni Couture wrote in her letter against “intimidation” and “misinformation.”

She ordered a beer from Simple Malt in 2019, she said. Rene Huard took his money without delivering the goods.

You owe $3 million

“It would be simple if it were true. This is simply a lie. I have thousands of documents to prove it,” swears the hops enthusiast, almost choked by the accusation.

Joni Couture is sad, she wrote in her Saturday letter. She doesn’t budge: the media and her ex-partners are on the field.

“What really bothers me is how common misinformation has become. We are throwing figures and allegations everywhere without bothering and even bothering to check the source,” the business leader lamented.

Triani was not specific in its press release about its Glutenberg, Oschlag and Vox Populi and 2 Freres breweries as well as its Baron, Octane and Mojo alcoholic drinks.

“Transbroue’s most important client remains Triani for the representation and distribution of its alcoholic products. Transbroue also owes Triani more than $3M in debt,” the pair wrote.

The income from all the businesses known to the couple is estimated to be more than $20 million a year.