Industry Issues
Monster Beverage Corp.’s CANarchy to operate as Monster Brewing
Monster Beverage Corp., Corona, Calif., announced that effective immediately, CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective will operate under the name Monster Brewing Co.
CANarchy’s new alcohol products, The Beast Unleashed and Nasty Beast Hard Tea, now represent the majority of the company’s alcohol beverage sales, the company says. This change will better align the business with Monster Beverage Corp.’s brand equity, particularly as these products are expected to continue to play an increasingly important role in CANarchy’s future activities, it adds.
“We entered the alcohol beverage sector with the acquisition of CANarchy in February 2022, providing us with a fully staffed organizational infrastructure, full distribution in place and manufacturing capabilities,” said Hilton Schlosberg, vice chairman and co-CEO of Monster Beverage Corp., in a statement. “During the past two years, we integrated CANarchy’s infrastructure to develop, introduce and market new products that are becoming leading brands in the flavored malt beverage space.”
Rodney Sacks, Monster Beverage Corp.’s chairman and Co-CEO, added: “Monster Brewing Co. will continue to function independently under the management of its President, Tony Short, and his team. We are pleased that the strategy of combining the strengths of both organizations is proving successful, as we continue to develop and roll out innovative new products in the flavored malt beverages space and beyond. We are particularly proud that The Beast Unleashed was the best-selling new beer brand in 2023.”
Monster Brewing Co., formerly known as CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, was founded in 2015 as a disruptive collective of craft breweries. Among its current portfolio of beer brands are Jai Alai IPA, Dale’s Pale Ale, Dallas Blonde, and Wild Basin hard seltzers, among others. The company recently added flavored malt beverages — namely The Beast Unleashed and Nasty Beast Hard Tea — to its portfolio. The company also distributes Monster Tour Water, still and sparkling water beverages, and Revitalyte, a rapid hydration drink. BI
Suja Life appoints Maria Stipp as new CEO
Suja Life, a Paine Schwartz Partners portfolio company and the parent company of Suja Organic and Vive Organic, announced the appointment of Maria Stipp as its new CEO, effective Feb. 20. Stipp succeeds Bob DeBorde who will retire and remain an active member as Chair of the Board of Directors.
With an impressive leadership track record and a deep understanding of the food and beverage market, Stipp is poised to drive Suja Life to transformative new heights as the company continues to build its strong portfolio of consumer brands, the company says. Prior to joining Suja Life, Stipp served as CEO of Sapporo-Stone Brewing Co. where she initially oversaw the Stone Brewing business, doubled its size and successfully led the company through its sale to Japanese beer maker Sapporo. Previously, Stipp was the CEO of Lagunitas Brewing Co., and she currently sits on the board of Siete Family Foods and California Olive Ranch.
“I am thrilled to lead Suja Life’s next phase of growth and work closely with the team and Paine Schwartz Partners to deliver meaningful value,” Stipp stated. “Throughout my tenure in the beverage industry, I have seen a dramatic shift in consumer trends toward better-for-you alternatives. Suja Life is well-suited to capitalize on this trend, and I look forward to further developing our exciting initiatives to achieve this.”
Outgoing CEO DeBorde joined Suja Organic as CEO in 2019 and drove Suja Life through market-leading growth and profitability while strengthening Suja’s platform position in the healthy beverage segment, the company says. In 2022, he oversaw its acquisition of Vive Organic to build a unified portfolio and create the next generation of wellness offerings. Although DeBorde will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations, he will remain active in supporting the company’s strategic growth in his new role as Chairman of the Board. Outgoing Chairman Randy Papadellis will remain on the Board as Vice Chairman.
“It has been a true honor to have worked with the talented team at Suja Life,” DeBorde stated. “Together we have built Suja Life into one of the leading healthy beverage platforms in the world. I am thrilled to pass the baton to Maria and am confident in her ability to lead the company in its next stage of expansion.” BI
Bardstown Bourbon Co. has hired Scott Blazek as chief commercial officer. In his new role, Blazek will lead sales expansion efforts across the United States and abroad for Bardstown Bourbon Co., Green River Distilling Co. and all affiliated brands. Blazek has nearly 30 years in beverage alcohol working for premier organizations in senior leadership roles including Diageo Spirits U.S., Heineken USA and Breakthru Beverage where he served as executive vice president of Nevada, responsible for a $500-plus million spirits, beer, wine and NA distributor, helping lead more than 550 employees and serving more than 4,500 customers in the state of Nevada. Prior to joining Bardstown Bourbon Co., he helped lead Casa Del Sol Spirits as their chief growth officer. “I am thrilled to join the team at Bardstown Bourbon. I have been watching their success from afar and admired their quality and commitment to innovation, transparency and disruption,” Blazek said in a statement. “The chance to join this company to help them scale these brands is a great opportunity and I am ready to do my part to accelerate their growth.”
Talking Rain Beverage Co., Preston, Wash., makers of Sparkling Ice, announced Emilia Tauss as its new vice president of revenue strategy management and planning. Tauss joins the company with more than 20 years of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) experience at companies such as PepsiCo, Trident Seafoods, Essentia Water and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. As Sparkling Ice is set to launch transformational new growth platforms and enterprise initiatives to meet the company’s growth plans, expansion needs and future strategies, Tauss will play an integral role in guiding these proposals toward success, the company says. “I’m proud to have a hand in driving all these new initiatives that Talking Rain is bubbling up to bring new, delicious, full-flavored products to Sparkling Ice enthusiasts,” Tauss said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to driving profitable growth for the company through data and analytics.” The addition of Tauss and the revenue strategy management and planning division follows shortly on the heels of Talking Rain’s announcement that it hired its first chief growth officer: Rich DePencier, a former executive at Starbucks and Procter & Gamble. Together, Tauss and DePencier are part of a revolution at the beverage company to expand its lead in an increasingly crowded market of sparkling water and soda alternatives, the company says.
Cherokee Distributing Co., Knoxville, Tenn., announced a strategic partnership with Provi. The collaboration is designed to elevate revenue streams for Cherokee through the implementation of Provi’s online ordering system and distributor sales tools. The partnership will empower Cherokee’s sales representatives to enhance their service to licensed retail customers. By leveraging Provi’s marketplace, Cherokee’s customers will have the ability to seamlessly search and place orders from the wholesaler’s extensive portfolio, the company says. Provi’s streamlined online ordering system and suite of distributor rep tools will optimize efficiency and provide an elevated experience for both Cherokee’s team and their valued customers, it adds. “This strategic partnership with Provi is poised to equip our sales representatives with advanced tools, streamlining the selling process and catering to the evolving requirements of our valued retail customers,” said Jeff Knight, president at Cherokee Distributing, in a statement. “Our commitment to innovation is reflected in this partnership, as we strive to stay at the forefront of meeting industry demands and enhancing overall efficiency.”
100 Coconuts, New York, announced its retail distribution expansion for its Pure Coconut Water into an additional 450 Publix Supermarkets across the southeast. 100 Coconuts products are now available across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky. As part of the expansion, Publix shoppers now are able to purchase 100 Coconuts Pure Coconut Water +Mango and Pure Coconut Water +Pineapple in 1,100 stores. “We are thrilled to continue our expansion of 100 Coconuts footprint in such an important retailer and supermarket industry leader in the southeast like Publix,” said Gregory Lowe II, founder and CEO of 100 Coconuts, in a statement. “We are committed to this exciting partnership and introducing Publix customers to our Pure Coconut Water, Pure Coconut Water +Mango and Pure Coconut Water +Pineapple beverages.” This expansion follows a remarkable year of substantial category growth within the grocery chain. Previously the Pure Coconut Water was available in 850 locations now it is available at 1,250 Publix stores.