![]() The Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPSG) has a 15 percent stake in Big Red and handles about 75 percent of the distribution for Big Red and HyDrive. Under Big Red ownership, that footprint may change. Under the ownership of the Fertitta brothers, who own Zuffa, the sports promotion company that runs the UFC, Xyience began a gradual ascent led largely by VP of sales Reuben Rios, one of the few holdovers from the brand’s pre-Fertitta ownership, and eventually by John Lennon, a president and veteran of the beer industry brought on in November 2010 to help fill out its distribution footprint. The brand’s position as the leader of an independent chase pack of energy drinks not named Monster, Rockstar or Red Bull was a remarkable turnaround story following years of shaky finances. The brand had approximately $45 million in sales, according to IRI numbers for the 52-week period ending May 24, 2014, although those figures don’t include vendors like gymnasiums and GNC- and Vitamin Shoppe-type stores, where it has claimed robust growth. Under Smith, Big Red has gradually acquired a portfolio of brands, including Thomas Kemper Soda and energy water HyDrive, but Xyience is by far the largest brand the company has picked up. ![]() The brand also has deep ties with both MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch distribution companies, such as Hensley Beverage Company in Arizona. Smith said that he will preserve the brand’s existing distribution partnerships, such as the recently announced deals with Canada Dry New York, Davis Beverage Group and Polar Beverages. ‘They’ve done a really good job of building out distributors all over the country and retailers all over the country,” he said. Gary Smith, the CEO of Big Red, whose prime asset is its long-running, eponymous soda brand, said that Xyience’s national footprint was an important factor in the acquisition.
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