Giannuzzi Group Renamed Giannuzzi Lewendon

Giannuzzi Group, LLP, a New York-based law firm focused on the food and beverage industry, has renamed itself Giannuzzi Lewendon, LLP effective January 1 reflecting founding partner Ryan Lewendon.

Founded in 2011 by Lewendon and partners Nick Giannuzzi and Anthony Iuzzolino, the firm has made its name in the food and beverage industry by servicing better-for-you brands and startups of varying size. Though the name change will not make a material difference in how the firm operates day-to-day, Lewendon told BevNET that he felt it served as a “reflection of where we’ve been and where we want to go” after the first decade in business.

Giannuzzi Lewendon has also named two of its longest tenured attorneys, Kara Posner and Blake Horn, as partners. Posner and Horn joined the firm in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and Lewendon called the promotions a “badge of honor” that serves to “solidify our commitment to each other.”

“When I look at our firm, I honestly think that our biggest strength is that we have a bunch of really great, amazing and outstanding lawyers,” Lewendon said. “We have, outside of all the individuals, as a collective what I consider an unparalleled resource of knowledge and experience in this industry.”

Last year, the firm — which currently has about 20 lawyers and services over 1,000 clients, according to Lewendon — opened a second office in Santa Monica, California, a move precipitated by the large number of West Coast clients the firm serves. Although the pandemic has forced the company to work remotely this year, he added that he aims to spend a significant amount of time in the California office once travel can resume in order to continue growing those operations.

“I think that, quite honestly, in the next five years, our LA office could be just as big as our New York office,” he said.

Mad Tasty Names Kyle Simon as Director of Supply Chain and Operations

CBD-infused sparkling water brand Mad Tasty announced this week it has named Kyle Simon as its director of supply chain and operations, tasked with helping the brand scale and expand distribution in 2021.

Simon joins the company from Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) where he served as a production supervisor working in supply chain management. He has held previous positions at Anchor Brewers and Distillers and as an independent consultant working in the beverage industry.

According to Leila Khoury, director of marketing at Mad Tasty, Simon joins the team as the brand seeks to grow its nationwide footprint. Launched last year into the California market, Mad Tasty is currently available in Chicago, Texas and Colorado. As well, Khoury said the company is preparing to launch a new product line in 2021 which Simon will help prepare.

“Kyle has the right beverage supply chain experience with a great background in biochem, which will be helpful in a space like formulation,” Khoury said. “Although he has some really heavy hitting beverage experience, I think he’s really excited to bring that discipline he’s learned in the bigger beverage space to a new industry [with hemp CBD], because the supply chain is very different.”

In addition to Simon, Khoury said the brand is also building out its sales team, recently adding three new representative positions in Texas and is currently hiring in Chicago. Mad Tasty is also looking to add supply chain and marketing positions in the coming months.

The Coca-Cola Company to Cut 2,200 Jobs

The Coca-Cola Company is preparing to cut 2,200 jobs globally, including 1,200 in the U.S., as part of COVID-19-related restructuring, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The cuts will represent roughly 12% of the company’s U.S. workforce.

According to the report, Coke will offer buyouts to certain employees while others will be eliminated through layoffs. In August, about 4,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada were offered buyouts. The cuts are expected to save the company between $350 million and $550 million annually, a spokesperson told the Journal.

The cuts come in a year where Coke has been judicious in eliminating underperforming brands, including well-known products such as Odwalla, Zico and TAB.