News Briefs
Starbucks, Seattle, has acquired Ethos Water, based in Santa Monica, Calif. The brand will be available in company-operated stores later this year, and Starbucks has said it will maintain Ethos’s goal to donate $250,000 in 2005 and $1 million in 2006 to support water projects in Bangledesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Honduras and Kenya.
National Distributing Co., Atlanta, has purchased another Georgia-based company, Atlanta Wholesale Wine, a distributor
of premium wines and liquors.
Boening Brothers Inc.,
North Lindenhurst, N.Y., will begin distributing Blauvelt, N.Y.-based Skae Beverages International’s New Leaf Teas throughout the New York metro area.
Nestlé Waters France reportedly has reached an agreement
with the union at its Vergeze, France Perrier plant. The decision allows
Perrier to go forward with a restructuring that will combine two plants
into what will become the world’s leading bottling site.
India Breweries Inc. has
sued Miller Brewing Co. for $500 million, saying the Milwaukee-based brewer backed out of
a 10-year licensing agreement reached in 1999. Miller has said it fulfilled
contract obligations and that the agreement expired after India Breweries
did not deliver on commitments.
Wine.com has secured
space as a featured partner on Amazon.com to help shoppers find and buy wine online. The service will
be located in Amazon’s Gourmet Food store and on Amazon’s home
page. First-time shoppers will receive a $10 discount on an order of $50 or
more.
