PRINCETON, N.J. (May 4, 2011) — Bai Brands will dramatically expand distribution of its natural, antioxidant-infused beverages through a new agreement with the Honickman Group, one of the nation’s largest beverage distribution companies.
Bai Brands produces the fast-growing Bai and Bai5 lines of beverages powered by the coffeefruit, one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants. The Honickman soft drink operations — Canada Dry Delaware Valley and Canada Dry Potomac Corp. — will distribute Bai beverages to its extensive network of retail outlets throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, ranging from southern New Jersey to northern Virginia.
Honickman, based in Pennsauken, N.J., is one of the nation’s largest privately owned bottlers and distributors of soft drinks, water, tea, juice, and energy and sports drinks, with more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Its beverage portfolio includes leading brands such as Arizona, Glaceau, Snapple, Canada Dry, Sunkist, A&W and 7-Up.
“The Honickman Group is one of the best-known names in the beverage distribution business, and over many years it has helped new brands establish credibility and a powerful presence in the marketplace,” said Ben Weiss, Bai’s founder and CEO. “As our new colleagues at Honickman have learned more about Bai and our position as the pioneer of a new category in the ready-to-drink beverage marketplace, we have been able to establish a partnership that will significantly enhance the opportunities for Bai to reach consumers who are thirsting for great-tasting functional beverages.”
Weiss added, “Bai is the first and most established ready-to-drink beverage powered by the coffeefruit, which delivers a massive antioxidant boost that long had been one of nature’s biggest secrets. This new arrangement with Honickman will allow both of our companies to benefit from the greater awareness of the power of coffee’s ‘secret superfruit’ as Bai reaches new consumers throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.”
“We consistently monitor consumer trends to find the best opportunities to bring brands to the marketplace that will benefit our retail customers,” said John Taglienti, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Canada Dry Delaware Valley and Canada Dry Potomac Corp. “Functional beverages are a major driver of growth in the industry now, and we recognize that Bai — a healthy lifestyle drink packed with natural fruit flavor and low-calorie options — is well-positioned as a major player in this space. This partnership with Bai represents an exciting opportunity for us to meet consumer demand that promises to continue to grow in the months and years ahead.”
About Bai Brands
Harnessing the benefits of coffee’s “superfruit,” Bai Brands produces the innovative line of Bai and Bai5 beverages to meet the demands of today’s health-conscious consumers. Bai beverages offer refreshing, exotic fruit flavors and are powered by the coffeefruit — one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants and, until now, one of its greatest secrets. Based on a scoring method used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, or ORAC), the coffeefruit extract found in Bai provides more than 40 times the antioxidant benefit of acai per gram and more than 50 times the benefit of pomegranate. Bai is lightly sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice in its traditional line and organic stevia in its low-calorie Bai5 line. Unlike the over-caffeinated energy drinks saturating the market, a bottle of Bai contains 70 mg of natural caffeine — less than a typical cup of coffee — that is derived from coffeefruit and white tea extract.
Bai beverages are available through an expanding network of retailers and distributors in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, West Coast and Midwest, as well as the Caribbean, Dubai and Panama. Bai won the Best New Functional Drink and Best New Beverage Ingredient awards at the InterBev 2010 Beverage Innovation Awards. For more information, visit www.drinkbai.com.