O.K., so the offer of private-equity firms Texas Pacific Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. to acquire Dallas-based utility TXU Corp for about $45 billion was the big deal that was buzzing around financial circles over the weekend. As the NY Times’ Landon Thomas reports, it’s always fun when one of the original barbarians arrives at the gate.
But also catching my eye was that Houston-based Marble Slab Creamery — a longtime success story in the premium ice-cream parlor wars — announced on Friday that it was selling out New York-based NexCen Brands Inc. for $16 million. As noted earlier here, Marble Slab is well-positioned to make a run at becoming the Starbucks of premium ice-cream and NexCen — a brand acquisition and management company that is focused on assembling a portfolio of companies in the consumer branded products and franchise industries — has the capital to pull it off. Bully for the Hankamer family, the owners of Marble Slab.