Milo's Tea Co. Inc., a family-owned and certified women-owned business known for crafting teas and lemonades with high-quality, real ingredients, announced that it is projecting over $1 billion in retail sales by 2027. This milestone positions Milo's as a breakout player among CPG beverage brands.

The announcement comes on the heels of the opening of Milo's fourth manufacturing and distribution facility, a $200 million, state-of-the-art site in Spartanburg, S.C., that will employ approximately 200 associates when fully staffed. Spartanburg marks the company's third new facility in five years and brings its total manufacturing footprint to four locations nationwide.

This expanded footprint has enabled Milo's to scale rapidly, growing from 50 to nearly 1,000 associates in the past decade. Over the same period, the company has more than tripled its size and expanded its retail reach to more than 55,000 locations across all 50 states. Milo's beverages are now carried by leading retailers including Whole Foods, Walmart and Sam's Club, Kroger, Target, Dollar General, Wegman's, H-E-B, and Publix.

As of this year, Milo's also secured the highest household penetration (HHP) in the category, at twice the rate of the category average, the company says, citing Numerator sales data for refrigerated tea and lemonade across all channels for the rolling 52 weeks ending May 25. In the category, it is the only brand to grow household penetration year over year, increasing HHP 102% since 2020, it adds, citing Numerator data.

Milo's is a proudly independent, family-owned company now in its third generation of leadership. Founded in 1946 by Milo and Bea Carlton with a vision to use high-quality, real ingredients, listen to its customers, and never sacrifice taste, the company is still guided by that same ethos today. 

Tricia Wallwork, Milo's granddaughter, now leads as CEO and Chair, continuing her family's legacy of purpose-driven growth. Free from the pressures of Wall Street and driven by values over volume, Milo's is proving that a mission-first, family-led business can thrive on a national stage without compromising what matters most, the company says.

“The fact that we have this incredible milestone in our sights is a testament to the passion of our team, the tried-and-true loyalty of our fans, the support of our retail partners, and our commitment to quality,” said Wallwork, Milo’s Chair and CEO, in a statement. “As we grow, we are focused on scaling with purpose and delivering great-tasting, simple beverages to more fans across the country.”

Milo's also recently introduced three new additions to its product line: Strawberry Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade and Lemon Sweet Tea. All three are 100% natural and crafted from simple ingredients and contain no preservatives, additives or artificial flavors.

Early response has been strong. The new lemonade SKUs exceeded initial velocity targets at Walmart by more than 60% in their first 60 days on shelf, highlighting strong consumer appetite for flavor variety and clean-label refreshment, it says, citing Scintilla by Walmart Data Ventures for the last week ending June 27.

“We have the highest repeat purchase rate in the category, so we know that when people try our teas and lemonades, they come back for more,” said Dan Weingart, chief growth officer at Milo’s, in a statement. “Our innovation pipeline is packed with exciting new offerings designed to meet shifting consumer tastes and extend our brand’s presence. From fresh flavor combinations to better-for-you choices and breakthrough formats, every new product is grounded in our core values and built to drive continued growth.”

Building on this success, Milo's also will release a Zero Sugar Lemonade later this year.