News Briefs
April 1, 2005
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News Briefs
Trinchero Family Estates has created a joint venture with Joel Gott, Charles Bieler and Roger Scommegna, owners of Three Thieves wines, to market and sell Three Thieves and Bandit brands. The new company will be called Rebel Wine Co. and will focus on creating products and expanding distribution.
Starbucks has been dropped
from the investment portfolio of Pax World
Funds over the recent launch of Starbucks
Liqueur. The product, which is a collaboration between the coffee company
and Jim Beam Brands,
is in opposition to Pax’s policy to avoid investing in companies
involved with defense, weapons, tobacco, liquor or gambling. In a
statement, Starbucks said it was disappointed in the decision but
understood the investment company’s policy.
RealPure Beverage Group
recently received a warning letter from the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration stating
its 100% Juice Orange Concentrate, Premium Orange Juice Concentrate and
100% Grape Juice Concentrate were misbranded for not conforming to FDA
standards. The company also was cited for not carrying nutrition labeling
on packages and for deviations from HACCP regulations.
The city of Evart, Mich., has agreed to become a
source of water for Nestlé Waters North
America’s Ice Mountain brand. The deal
includes several public projects and a $200,000 payment for improvements to
Evart’s water system. The water will be trucked to the Ice Mountain
bottling facility in Mecosta County.
Maxxium Worldwide
announced it has completed the integration of the V&S Group and Maxxium
portfolios within Maxxium Nordic Travel Retail. The company’s goal is to be a major player in the
duty-free and travel retail market, and it has named Erik Thomsen travel retail director,
Northern Europe. The travel retail portfolio includes Absolut Vodka, Danzka
Vodka, Xante, Aalborg and Gammel Dansk as well as Rémy Martin
Cognac, Cointreau, The Famous Grouse, The Macallan and Jim Beam Bourbon. It
also represents third-party partners such as Whyte
& McKay, Stroh, Antinori, Faustino,
Williams & Humbert, Henkell
and Hugel.
Castle Brands and
Bermuda’s Gosling family have launched a global export company for Gosling Rum
called Gosling-Castle Partners Inc. The new group also announced a major marketing
campaign based on a “Seven Stubborn Generations” theme.
U.S. distribution rights for Miller’s London Dry
Gin have been awarded to Skyy Spirits, a division of Campari. The agreement between Reformed Spirits Co. and
Campari includes an option to acquire the brand in 2009 at a price based on
2008 sales levels.
Coca-Cola and its Greek
bottler Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Co. have purchased a Russian fruit juice company called Multon. The price of the
acquisition was not disclosed, but Multon has a market share in Russia of
25 percent and sales of $336 million.
Dr Pepper Bottling Group,
Dallas, has a new CEO. Larry Young, who most recently served as executive vice president of
corporate affairs at PepsiAmericas, Rolling Meadows, Ill., has been selected to succeed Jim
Turner, who is retiring this year. He is expected to begin his new job May
2.
The American Beverage Association, Washington, D.C., has selected
Susan Neely, former Assistant Secretary
(Public Affairs) for the U.S. Department of Home-land Security, as
president of the association. ABA Chairman Ralph Crowley said Neely’s
“expertise in health policy and communications will prove invaluable
as the industry strengthens its focus on health and nutrition issues.”
