Premium water maker Hawaii Volcanic has inked a distribution deal with top U.S. bottled water manufacturer BlueTriton to service the Hawaii-based brand in retail, home and office accounts through its ReadyRefresh Direct Delivery platform. The deal was brokered via L.A. Libations, which holds an equity stake in the brand.
According to Hawaii Volcanic CEO Jason Donovan, the brand provides BlueTriton with its first offering in Hawaii, while adding an additional premium water brand to its portfolio in the Western U.S. market, complementing its Arrowhead brand. Donovan noted that Hawaii Volcanic’s focus on sustainability was also key to securing the partnership, as the brand sources from a renewable water source and is packaged in recyclable glass.
“They love that we’re very aligned on mission first and we will be filling in some whitespace for them,” Donovan said. “I think we’re adding to their portfolio being in the super premium category and being in glass.”
“BlueTriton’s ReadyRefresh Direct Delivery business is excited about our new DSD partnership in California with Hawaii Volcanic Water,” said Joe Wiggetman, Chief Customer Officer of BlueTriton Brands, in a statement. “We look forward to satisfying our consumers with another outstanding healthy hydration option.”
In addition to DSD services, BlueTriton’s ReadyRefresh network has access to over 200,000 home and office accounts in California alone, L.A. Libations CEO Danny Stepper told BevNET. The partnership goes into effect this week, beginning in California with the possibility of expanding to Arizona, Texas and Florida in the near future.
BlueTriton was founded in 2021 following the acquisition of ReadyRefresh and the Nestle Waters North America brand portfolio by an investment group.
“What I’ve learned from doing deals with strategics is that when it’s natural, and if it just feels like it fits on both sides, that’s when things usually go good,” Stepper said. “It’s when you’re trying to do something unnatural and forcing it that they tend not to go well. So, I’m very bullish that this is going to be really great for both organizations.”
Founded in 2012, Hawaii Volcanic had primarily been distributed in the Aloha state until last year, when it closed a $10 million funding round that included investments from L.A. Libations and surfing icon Bethany Hamilton, among others. The brand has since been focused on building distribution along the West Coast, hitting its goal of 8,000 doors by the end of 2023 and adding retailers such as Walmart, Erewhon, Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions and around 120 CVS stores in California.
While L.A. Libations has been able to build Hawaii Volcanic’s presence in a number of mainstream retail chains, Stepper said the key unlock BlueTriton will bring to the brand is actually in its ability to add more small chains and independent accounts to its footprint.
Stepper also noted that the deal offers future opportunities for L.A. Libations to work with BlueTriton for distribution agreements on additional brands, noting that ReadyRefresh also services non-water products like ROAR Organic.
“This is super exciting for Hawaii Volcanic, but it also opens the door for L.A. Libations to do more with them,” he said.