Max Rothman

Posts by Max Rothman

blk. Signs Distribution Agreement With Big Geyser

In a joint release, the companies announced Tuesday a partnership that will take all blk. products into the five boroughs of New York City, as well as Westchester, Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York.

Alt-Dairy: Obstacles to Change

While it’s true that entrepreneurial beverage companies have taken encouraging steps in the dairy aisle, it continues to be a challenging place for emerging brands to find a shelf placement. There just might be more challenges than opportunities.

Got Other Milk?

Beverage companies continue to form novel takes on dairy products and consumers translate their interest into acquisition. By adapting to the demand for nutrition, versatility of occasion and portability, alternative dairy brands have made headway in a former no-fly zone.

Distribution Roundup: Rooibee Red Tea Expands Presence Across U.S., Reed’s Partners With FreshDirect

Rooibee Red Tea, which markets a line of USDA-organic, ready-to-drink red tea made from the South African rooibos bush, announced Thursday that it has expanded its presence on both coasts and the South. The tea will be available in Whole Foods stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington D.C. at the start of 2014, Publix stores in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, and Bristol Farms and Nugget Markets in California.

Kombucha Crossover

Health-Ade announced Wednesday that it has added Christine Perich, the CFO and COO at New Belgium Brewing Company, Inc., to its board of directors. Perich began working at the Fort Collins, Colo.-based brewery in 2000 and will continue to do so. Slekys Trout credited Perich’s vast experience and ability to troubleshoot the abundance of difficulties faced by an ambitious kombucha company.

SodaStream Partners With Welch’s Amid Recent Setbacks

The trendy at-home soda kit company announced Wednesday morning that it will work with Welch’s to launch a line of sparkling drink concentrates that will be developed exclusively for SodaStream’s home beverage carbonation system. The products are expected to be available in the U.S. during the second half of 2014.

Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley Report Continued Strength of Energy Drinks

Category leaders Red Bull and Monster have continued to rack up strong sales figures, according to recent reports by analysts with investment banks Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. The report from Wells Fargo, in particular, cited innovation, marketing increases and less negative press as boons for the category.

FDA to Revise Guidelines of Nutrition Facts Labels

Introduced to the U.S. on Jan. 6, 1993, nutrition facts labels have long served as one of the best ways for consumers to monitor their health by what they eat and drink. However, as time passes and the industries progress, the FDA recognizes that an update could further ensure the safety of consumers — the administration’s top priority — and mollify politicians and think tanks.

PepsiCo Reports $5 Billion Plans in Mexico

The company aims to focus the plans so that they further support its food and beverage business in Mexico, one of the most appealing markets in Latin America because of its growing middle class and economic growth potential, according to a company release.

Consumer Reports Investigates Use of Caramel Color

The independent product-testing organization found that 12 brands of CSDs manufactured by The Coca-Cola, Co., Inc., PepsiCo, Inc. and Goya contain varying levels of 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI), a potentially-carcinogenic chemical byproduct of the production of certain types of caramel color as an ingredient.

KeVita Adds to Sales Team, Announces New Headquarters

KeVita announced Wednesday that it has expanded operations with three veteran sales hires for its team, as well as a new headquarters in Southern California. The additions come in response to surging demand for sparkling probiotic drinks, according to a company release.

IRI Survey Highlights Declines in Shopper Sentiment

According to a survey released Wednesday by IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm, the sluggish economic growth of 2013 has influenced all age groups to tighten purse strings in 2014. However, despite the widespread frugality, millennials have consistently struggled since the beginning of the economic slump.

Press Clips: Cold-Pressed Vending, a Few Takes on Health

A student from the University of St. Thomas (UST) in St. Paul, Minn., has launched a cold-pressed juice vending machine, calling it Juice Cold Pressed. Nick Halter of The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal writes that after devising the idea in a business class at UST, Kalamel Mohamed plans to install 250 of the machines across the Twin Cities, along with business partners LJ Stead and Eric Ploeger.

Little Miracles Strikes Brand Representation Deals

Little Miracles produces a line of tea-based, organic energy drinks that are already distributed in 21 European countries. By signing with Acosta Sales and Marketing and Coast Brands Group, John Carroll, U.S. CEO of Little Miracles, said that the brand has begun to make its push into the U.S. marketplace.