BevNET is pleased to announce that Duane Primozich, Executive Vice President at Boulder Brands, will be joining the lineup of BevNET Live in Santa Monica on Dec. 8 and 9.
Primozich, who is also one of three managing partners of the Boulder Brands Investment Group (BIG) will offer a discussion of Boulder Brands’ venture capital strategy, particularly with regard to beverage, as well as his overall views on the state of the beverage market and the natural foods industry.
BIG, a partnership between Boulder Brands and Presence Marketing, was formed to serve as a “friendly equity” model that could leverage the parent company’s infrastructure and route to market capabilities, which are based around a group of portfolio companies including Udi’s, Evol, Earth Balance, Glutino, Level Life Foods and Smart Balance.
Boulder Brands acquired Udi’s and Evol in recent years and BIG acquired a minority share of Suja early in 2013, a deal that was designed to provide growth capital to the emergent cold-pressed juice company. The Suja deal was one of several food and beverage options that the fund reviewed, and BIG is actively seeking new companies for investment — attendees of BevNET Live will have the chance to hear, first-hand, the group’s focus with regard to size, capabilities, branding and priorities when it comes to considering potential investment partnerships.
As an investment vehicle, BIG is attractive because of the backgrounds of its three partners: Primozich himself brings an entrepreneur’s resume to the investor’s chair; he co-founded Pixie Mate with T.J. McIntyre in 2004 and has worked for and with several other natural foods companies over the past 15 years, while managing partner Carole Buyers has been involved with investment and the natural product space for 18 years and Bill Weiland is the founder of Presence Marketing, the country’s largest independent natural products brokerage.
About Duane Primozich
Duane Primozich serves as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Boulder Brand’s Balance Brands segment including Smart Balance, Earth Balance and Level Life Foods. Mr. Primozich has been with the company since 2007 and has served in a variety of roles, including Senior Vice-President of Strategic Initiatives and Senior Vice-President of the Earth Balance and Best Life businesses. Additionally, Mr. Primozich serves as one of three Directors of the Boulder Brands Investment Group and on the Board of Directors for portfolio company Suja Juice. Mr. Primozich also serves on the board of Thorne Nature Experience, a Boulder-based non-profit connecting children, teens and adults to nature.
Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Primozich held management positions with several natural foods companies and co-founded a specialty tea business in 2004.
About BevNET Live
BevNET Live Santa Monica will be held on Dec. 8 and 9 at the Loews Beach Hotel. It is a two-day conference for beverage entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, retailers and investors to gather, speak, exchange ideas through interactive panels and lectures, and enhance their sales, marketing, growth and product development strategies. Attendees can tap the expertise of investors and investment professionals who can help them realize growth capital or exit opportunities, explore and discuss strategies from business owners with inspiring success stories, and otherwise absorb case studies curated by BevNET.com, which has spent a decade dedicating itself to careful reporting on the fast-moving beverage industry. More than just a conference, BevNET LIVE includes networking options including the BevNET LIVE Expo, beverage breaks, cocktail receptions and, most of all, community.