News Briefs
Vitaminwater will now be available on AirTran Airways, thanks to an agreement between the low-cost airline and The Coca-Cola Co. Airline travelers will have a choice between Vitaminwater’s Revive and Essential varieties.
Reed’s, Los Angeles,
has signed on with Atlas Distributing for distribution of its soft drink products in central
Massachusetts.
Naked Juice Co., Azusa,
Calif., formed a multi-year agreement with Starbucks
Coffee Co., Seattle, to serve Naked Juice
products in its stores. Participating Starbucks outlets will carry Green
Machine, Mighty Mango and Protein Zone smoothies as well as O-J orange
juice.
The Massachusetts Licensed Beverage Association (MassLBA), Burlington, Mass., has changed its name to the New England Licensed Beverage Association (NELBA). Terry Connaughton, who served as executive director of
the MassLBA, will serve as president, and the organization will name
directors for each of the six states it represents.
Solvi Brands, Atlanta,
signed an agreement with Haralambos Beverage Co. to distribute Crunk Energy Drink in Southern
California. Haralambos operates in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and
Riverside counties.
CKE Restaurants Inc.,
parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants, and The Coca-Cola Co. have
agreed to a multi-year renewal of their beverage contract. Under the terms
of the agreement, Coca-Cola Foodservice will continue to be the beverage
provider for CKE, supplying soft drinks, juice and bottled water.
Skinny Nutritional Corp.,
Bala Cynwyd, Pa., has signed on with Amazon to make Skinny Water, an
appetite-suppressing flavored water, available for online sales. The
agreement is the company’s first e-commerce deal, and product will be
found in Amazon’s health and personal care section.
“Amazon is a strategically important distributor
for us from the credibility, visibility and market-reach
standpoints,” said Don McDonald, president and chief executive
officer at Skinny Nutritional.
DLR Associates Inc.,
Mooresville, N.C., announced its Latino-focused, tamarind-flavored Potencia
Energy Drink will be available in Nebraska through Omaha-based 3G Distributing.
Burger King announced it
will begin offering Nestlé Pure Life bottled water instead of Pepsi’s Aquafina in its
U.S. locations. According to a Reuters report, Nestlé’s new Eco-Shape bottle was part of the decision to make
the switch.
Tully’s Coffee Corp.,
Seattle, has partnered with Asia Food Culture
Management for a new joint venture called
Tully’s Coffee Asia Pacific Partners LP. The companies will develop
the Tully’s brand in Asia (excluding Japan), Australia and New
Zealand through franchising and licensing activities, retail store
operations, coffee roasting and wholesale distribution.
Tully’s also announced a settlement agreement
with UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. to resolve
litigation related to the 2001 license agreement between the parties.
Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc., Bardstown, Ky., formed a joint venture with Mexican spirits
company Tierra de Agaves. The partnership includes joint ownership of the Lunazul and La
Certeza Tequila brands. As part of the agreement, Lunazul’s
super-premium Blanco and Reposado tequilas as well as La Certeza’s
Blanco, Reposado and Anejo tequila varieties will join the Heaven Hill
portfolio.
New Belgium Brewing, Fort
Collins, Colo., was recognized with a Colorado Governor’s Excellence
in Renewable Energy Award last month. The company received the award in the
Large Business category for its use of wind power, and the incorporation of
energy-efficient and renewable features throughout its facility.
