BALANCE SHEET.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IN THIS
EXCLUSIVE IS BLACK RIFLE COFFEE
COMPANY CEO, EVAN HAPER.
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MARIA,
FOR HAVING ME BACK.
IT’S BEEN FOUR YEARS I THINK
SINCE THE LAST TIME I WAS ON THE
SHOW.
SO I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO
COME BACK AND MAKE THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT WITH YOU.
MARIA: I SO APPRECIATE THAT.
I REMEMBER WHEN WE TALKED BACK
THEN, FOUR YEARS AGO.
YOU WERE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT
THIS INCREDIBLE GROWTH STORY
THAT YOU WERE LEADING IN BLACK
RIFLE COFFEE.
NOW YOU’RE GOING TO GO PUBLIC
THROUGH THIS SPAC, A
$1.7 BILLION DEAL.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A SPAC?
TELL ME WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH
THAT MONEY, HOW THAT WILL BE
USED POST THE DEAL.
>> WELL, I THINK TIMING WAS
REALLY IMPORTANT AS FAR AS BEING
ABLE TO TAKE THE COMPANY PUBLIC
OR AT LEAST POSITION THE COMPANY
TO GO PUBLIC.
SLIVER BOX WAS THE RIGHT
PARTNER.
WE WANTED TO CURATE A
RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEBODY THAT
HAD THE SAME MISSION, INTENT AND
COMMITMENT TO THE VETERAN
COMMUNITY.
THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO COME TO THE
TABLE AND COMMIT SHARES AS PART
OF THE DEAL TO THE BLACK RIFLE
COFFEE FUND WHICH IS OUR
NONPROFIT SECTION OF THE
BUSINESS AND I THINK BEING ABLE
TO PARTNER WITH SOMEBODY RIGHT
NOW AND THE TIMING OF THIS AS
FAR AS BEING ABLE TO CAPTURE I
THINK MARKET INERTIA AND THEN
SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW
THE COMPANY AND MAINTAIN OUR
COMMITMENT TO HIRING 10,000
VETERANS BECAUSE WE SET OUT WITH
THAT GOAL FOUR YEARS AGO.
I SAID IT ON YOUR SHOW.
NEVER STRAYED FROM THAT MISSION
OR THAT FOCUS AND THIS IS JUST
PART OF COMPLETING OUR PROMISE
TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND
THAT’S OUR COMMITMENT.
MARIA: THAT IS SO FANTASTIC.
EVAN, TALK TO US ABOUT THE
VETERANS THAT YOU HIRED SO FAR
AND WHAT THEY BRING TO THE
TABLE.
WE HONOR AND CHERISH OUR YVETTE
RAINS AND I THANK YOU SO --
VETERANS AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR YOUR GREAT SERVICE TO THIS
COUNTRY ONCE AGAIN.
COMING INTO BUSINESS FROM THE
MILITARY, YOU’RE SEEING A
DIFFERENT MENTALITY, A SPECIFIC
SKILLSET THAT YOU’RE NOT GETTING
ELSEWHERE.
TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> I THINK VETERANS, ESPECIALLY
THE POST 9/11, THE YOUNGER
GENERATION OF VETERANS ARE UNDER
EMPLOYED AT A HIGHER RATE
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES,
THEY BRING A COMPLEX PROBLEM
SOLVING AND SPLIT DECISION
MAKING MATRIX THAT I THINK MOST
OF THE CIVILIAN POPULATION MIGHT
NOT UNDERSTAND.
THEY’VE BEEN PUT IN SOME OF THE
MOST DIE TAKE DYNAMIC, COMPLEX A
DANGEROUS PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD,
THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THOSE
AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, THEY HAVE
A LOT TO OFFER THE PROFESSION
FALL WORKPLACE, THE AMERICAN
PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE.
MY JOB IS NOT ONLY TO INSPIRE
AND ENTERTAIN PEOPLE THROUGH
MEDIA, IT’S ALSO TO LEAD THE
REST OF THE CORPORATE AMERICA TO
SAY WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF
HIRING VETERANS.
WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF
PUTTING A SPOTLIGHT ON VET
AFTERNOONRANUNEMPLOYMENT, DO A B
TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE THAT
CONTINUE TO SERVE AND SACRIFICE
OVERSEAS TO INCLUDE NOT ONLY THE
VETERANS BUT THE VETERAN
FAMILIES SO THIS IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT STEP FOR ME TO BE ABLE
TO GO OUT AND USE THE PODIUM OR
THE PLATFORM OF BLACK RIFLE
COFFEE TO SHED THE LIGHT ON
VETERANS’ ISSUES, HIRE VETERANS
AND CREATE A CULTURE THAT IS
TRULY AUTHENTIC TO THE VETERAN
WAY OF LIFE.
MARIA: AND THAT’S WHY YOU STAND
APART FOR SOME OF THE
COMPETITORS OUT THERE.
BUT IT’S A CROWDED FIELD, RIGHT,
EVAN?
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A MAJOR
PHILANTHROPIC PART OF THE
BUSINESS AS WELL.
YOUR COMPANY IS DONATING 530,000
SHARES, THAT’S $5.3 MILLION WITH
SLIVER BOX ENGAGE TO BLACK RIFLE
FOUNDATION.
THAT’S TERRIFIC.
WHO DOES THAT HELP?
AND GIVE US A SENSE OF THE
BACKDROP, THE COMPETITIVE
LANDSCAPE.
HOW DO YOU COMPETE WITH SUCH BIG
CORPORATIONS LIKE A STARBUCKS,
LIKE A DUNKIN AND WHERE DOES THE
GROWTH COME FROM FOR YOU?
>> I THINK THE MAIN COMPETITIVE
EDGE IS JUST BEING A BETTER
COMPANY.
WHEN I SAY THAT WE HAVE A BETTER
PRODUCT, WE HAVE A BETTER
COMPANY CULTURE, WE HAVE A
BETTER MISSION.
I THINK IT’S SOMETHING THAT IS
LOST IN THE SEA OF CORPORATE
WHITE WASH.
WE’RE A TRUE ATHEN AUTHENTIC AME
BRAND, IT’S A BUSINESS SUCCESS
STORY THAT EVERY VETERAN IN
AMERICA SHOULD BE PROUD OF.
IN SEVEN YEARS WHAT WE’VE BEEN
ABLE TO ACCOMPLISHED WITH
HUNDREDS OF VETERANS HIRED AND
PHILANTHROPIC ENDEAVORS WITH
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, WE SET UP
WITH SOME VERY INTENTIONAL
MISSION-FOCUSED GOALS.
ONE OF MY GOALS IS TO FIELD
1,000 PLUS ATV WHEELCHAIRS FOR
SERVICE MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN
PHYSICALLY DISABLE IN ORDER TO
GET THEM OUT IN THE WOODS, JUST
LIKE I GET TO DO WITH MY KIDS.
I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE
KEPT ALL MY LIMBS, ALL MY DIGITS
IN THE 20 YEARS OF DEPLOYING
BACK AND FORTH OVERSEAS IN THE
UNITED STATES MILITARY AND THE
CIA.
IT’S TIME FOR US TO GIVE BACK AS
A COMPANY.
MARIA: AMAZING.
>> TIME FOR US TO CONTINUE TO
GIVE BACK.
MARIA: TERRIFIC.
EVAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND YOUR SERVICE.
GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
BIG CONGRATULATIONS FROM US.
WE’LL BE WATCHING.