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Monster Boss Banks $12 Million.
http://beveragestartupnews.com/not-a-bad-day-for-monster-bev-ceo-sells-12-million-shares/
Castle Brands (ROX) Special Barrel Release of Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey.
Limited edition, single malt Irish whiskey comes with a custom label engraving option
NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Castle Brands Inc. (NYSE American: ROX), a developer and international marketer of premium and super-premium drinks brands, today announced that its Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey has launched a special barrel release of its 12-year-old single malt Irish whiskey.
http://beveragestartupnews.com/castle-brands-rox-special-barrel-release-of-knappogue-castle-single-malt-irish-whiskey/
New Aged Rums
Distilleries are releasing luxury, limited edition rums as premiumization takes hold of the category.
Rum has been overshadowed by the brown spirits boom, but an onslaught of high-end, boutique labels is enlivening the category’s space in a big way. As with whiskies, aged expressions are spearheading the upscale climb, with some matured for up to 25 years. Here’s a selection of new rums that will hit shelves in the new year.
http://beveragestartupnews.com/new-aged-rums/
Jose Cuervo To Purchase Canadian Whisky Brand Pendleton for $205 million.
MEXICO CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 13, 2017– Becle, S.A.B. de C.V., (“Becle” or the “Company”) (BMV: CUERVO) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Pendleton Whisky brand assets from Hood River Distillers, Inc.Pendleton Whisky is one of the leading super premium whisky brands in the United States. Becle has agreed to pay US$205 million for these assets.
http://beveragestartupnews.com/jose-cuervo-to-purchase-canadian-whisky-brand-pendleton-for-205-million/
Eastside Distilling (ESDI) Annual Shareholder Meeting and Tour of Its New Production Facility.
http://beveragestartupnews.com/eastside-distilling-esdi-annual-shareholder-meeting-and-tour-of-its-new-production-facility/
We're Back.
We have a new editor will attempt to post every Beverage related news headline the week they are released.
Visit www.beveragestockreview.com and www.beveragestartupnews.com for more beverage related news.
Anheuser-Busch to offer $106bn for SAB Miller.
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AMIN), the largest brewery company in the world, is all set to make an initial bid close to $106bn (£70bn, €95bn) to acquire Britain-based SAB Miller (SAB), the second-largest brewery company in the world. A possible merger could give Anheuser InBev control over almost one-third of global beer volumes.
SABMiller had confirmed in a public statement on 16 September that Anheuser InBev intended to make a proposal for acquisition. The company said no proposal had yet been received, and revealed no further details about the terms of any such proposal. According to Reuters, the first bid could be made as early as 28 September (Monday).
As of 2014, Anheuser InBev had a combined global share of 20.8% of the beer market while SABMiller had 9.70%. If the deal goes through, Anheuser InBev will rule the global beer market with an estimated 30.5% market share. Some of the most popular brands of beer under Anheuser InBev are Budweiser, Busch, Corona, Hoegaarden, Leffe and Stella Artois, while Miller, Fosters, Peroni, Castle are some of the best known brands under SAB Miller.
According to a Forbes report, the current combined market cap of Anheuser InBev is £135bn (€182bn, $204bn), almost double the market capitalisation of SABMiller which is £58bn (€78bn, $87bn). While SABMiller is listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges, Anheuser InBev is listed on Euronext and the NYSE.
Anheuser InBev's buyout of SABMiller has been a matter of speculation for some time now but could not materialise due to the debt burden of Anheuser InBev which it took to finance multiple mergers and acquisitions in the last few years. Anheuser InBev was formed following acquisition of American brewer Anheuser-Busch by Belgian-Brazilian brewer InBev, which in turn was a merger of AmBev and Interbrew. While the Anheuser Busch and InBev acquisitions cost the company a total of £34bn (€46bn, $52bn) in 2008, for the earlier acquisition of AmBev–Interbrew the company had to shell out £7.5bn (€10bn, $11.5bn) in 2004.
Regulatory hurdles
Agreeing on the sale price will not be the only difficult task. Given the global presence both the companies have, they will have to get regulatory clearances from all associated authorities as well. According to a Bloomberg report, SAB Miller will have to exit its various joint ventures. Among them are its JV with Molson Coors Brewing Co, called MillerCoors in the US, a stake in CR Snow in China and a minority stake in French liquor company Groupe Castel.
The acquisition of SABMiller will be crucial for Anheuser InBev as it looks to spread its reach to emerging and growing markets from the already established and somewhat declining ones. SABMiller dominates the beer industry in Africa and Latin America with over 30% of its revenues coming from there led mainly by South Africa in the last fiscal year. Anheuser-Busch InBev, on the other hand, has negligible footprint in a market like Africa, and this acquisition could drive that growth. Sanford C Bernstein analyst Trevor Stirling in an interview to the Wall Street Journal commenting on a possible deal said: "By acquiring SABMiller, Anheuser-Busch InBev would be buying growth in Latin America and in Africa and buying the opportunity to take a lot of cost out of SAB's back office operations."
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/anheuser-busch-seen-making-106bn-offer-sab-miller-1521481
A Brewing Bucha (ABRW) Opportunity in the Functional Beverage Space.
REDONDO BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 22, 2015 / The craft brewing industry may be struggling amid intensifying competition, with companies like Craft Brew Alliance Inc. (BREW) falling some 36% over the past 52 weeks, but there's another type of brew that has been taking off over the past couple of years.
Kombucha is a brewed and fermented probiotic tea that could grow from $122.7 million in 2013 to upwards of $500 in 2015. In many Whole Foods Inc. (NASDAQ:WFM) stores, for instance, the category accounts for about a third of its refrigerated functional beverage shelf space. The market also remains rather fragmented with only one market leader - GT - and a number of much smaller competitors looking to secure a share of the market.
Despite its introduction thousands of years ago, consumers have just now been embracing kombucha in increasing numbers due to its perceived healing and cleansing characteristics. Kombucha teas include probiotics from the fermentation and a number of potentially beneficial byproducts found in the tea itself, such as polyphenols, antioxidants, and flavonoids. Some manufacturers are also developing coffee, beer, and other styles of kombucha.
In this article, we'll take a look at a company that's leveraging its experience in craft brewing to introduce a revolutionary kombucha product into health and grocery stores nationwide.
Capitalizing on Kombucha
American Brewing Co. Inc. (ABRW) is a Washington-based craft brewer with four beers in its portfolio, including the Flying Monkey Dogfight Pale Ale, Breakaway IPA, American Blonde, and Caboose Oatmeal Stout. After getting its start in the beer industry, the company expanded into the kombucha category with its bucha(TM) Live Kombucha brand of gluten-free, organic, sparkling kombucha teas back in April of 2015 with distribution throughout North America.
When the company was acquired there was distribution into 1800 stores including health, natural and grocery chains. The company is looking to double that store count over the next 12 months with distribution into all major U.S. markets utilizing a new national broker network.
Its proprietary blend differentiates itself from other kombucha producers through its proprietary extraction process that reduces the sour taste and may appeal to a larger audience. In fact, the sour nature of most kombucha could be a leading factor that's holding back wider consumer adoption.
Profitable & Growing
American Brewing reported revenue of $940,007, gross profit of $326,628, and net income of $19,217 during the quarter ended June 30, 2015. Following the acquisition of bucha(TM) Live Kombucha, the company generated 73% of its revenue and 84% of its gross profit from its bucha tea Wholesale division. The oversized impact on gross profit suggests that the transition into kombucha will continue improving overall margins over time.
In terms of near-term potential, investors may want to take a look at Reed's Inc. (NYSE:REED) success in entering the market. Reed's reported second quarter kombucha sales that increased 11% as it worked to improve its production techniques and add additional flavors – including the addition of a coffee-based kombucha. According to their 10-K filing, kombucha has grown to account for about 12% of the company's $43.4 million in net sales - or about $9.5 million.
American Brewing has a market capitalization of just $7 million, which leaves substantial room for upside if can capture just a fraction of the market. Reed's trades with a price-sales ratio of about 1.4x, while many larger beverage companies trade with even higher multiples. The company's pure-play focus on kombucha could lead to an above-market multiple, since it would presumably be able to grow faster than its diversified competitors.
Looking Ahead
Kombucha is the largest growth segment of the functional beverage category of food and drinks, which includes coconut water, yogurts, and fresh juices. The refrigerated juices section of the market alone grew by approximately $200 million in 2012 to an estimated market of about $600 million (50% growth), according to SPINS data. Kombucha accounts for an overwhelming majority of that explosive growth and accounts for a large part of the segment.
With its growing distribution footprint and product innovation, American Brewing is well-positioned to become a virtual-pure-play in the kombucha space. Investors interested in the functional beverage space may want to take a closer look at the stock given these catalysts. In particular, investors in micro-cap functional beverage stocks, like DC Brands International Inc. (OTC Pink: HRDN), or nutraceutical firms, like Nutraceutical Int'l Corp. (NUTR), may want to take an especially close look at the stock.
For more information, visit the company's website at www.americanbrewing.com.
Legal Disclaimer:
Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://secfilings.com/Disclaimer.aspx.
SOURCE: Emerging Growth LLC
Will SABMiller buy Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd?
Shares of Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd (ASX: CCL) have rallied 18 cents, or 2.1% today to trade at $8.81, compared to a 1.3% lift for the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO).
So What: Although the lift could partially be attributed to the general optimism in the market today, it could also be linked to reports that SABMiller, the world’s second-largest brewer, has been approached by its larger rival Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) regarding a potential takeover.
According to The Australian Financial Review, there has been speculation recently that SABMiller could be interested in acquiring Coca-Cola Amatil given the heavy fall in the Australian-based beverage manufacturer’s shares over the last two years.
An acquisition of Coca-Cola Amatil could also be a strategy to block a takeover by AB InBev’s given AB InBev’s relationship with Pepsi, which could create regulatory issues with the tie-up (more on regulatory hurdles in a moment).
Whether or not the speculation regarding SABMiller’s interest in Coca-Cola Amatil is accurate, the latest takeover assault from AB InBev could certainly add an element of urgency to these rumours.
Still, there is no certainty that a deal between SABMiller and AB InBev will proceed. To begin with, no formal offer has been made just yet with the AFR reporting that AB InBev wants to work with the board of SABMiller “toward a recommended transaction.”
Meanwhile, a tie-up between the two largest brewers would no doubt draw the attention of the regulators. A combination of the two would create one of the world’s biggest companies – dominant in Africa, Asia and America – with a value likely to be north of $320 billion. The company would also produce roughly a third of the world’s beer.
Now What: While it is possible that Coca-Cola Amatil could become a takeover target itself, investors shouldn’t invest in the company based solely on that reason. In saying that however, the company does appear to be trading at quite an attractive price and could be a good investment for investors focused on the long-term.
The smart money is looking for up-and-coming smaller companies with huge potential.
Jones Soda Announces Launch of Limited Edition Halloween Flavors.
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Jones Soda Co. (JSDA), a leading premium beverage company known for its unique flavors, today announced the return of Halloween-themed beverages, this year in its classic long neck glass bottles.
Continuing its tradition of spooky themed beverages to represent this holiday, this year’s newly designed Halloween beverages come in two delicious flavors, Blood Orange and Lemon Drop Dead. This year’s packaging, inspired by the vintage look of classic monster movies, is perfect for Halloween-themed celebrations for all ages to enjoy.
“We have so much fun with our Halloween line and are excited to offer it again this year,” stated Andrew Baumann, Director of Marketing, Jones Soda. “It’s a unique offering that tastes great and has amazing packaging that will get everyone in the Halloween spirit!”
The Halloween-themed sodas are available throughout the U.S. at Cost Plus World Market, select Kum & Go locations, numerous independent stores and online at www.jonessoda.com.
Jones Soda Co. Earnings Q2, 2015 Capital Cube q 13 days ago
JONES SODA CO Financials EDGAR Online Financials 1 mth 5 days ago
More
About Jones Soda Co.
Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Jones Soda Co.® (OTCQB: JSDA) markets and distributes premium beverages under Jones® Soda, Jones Zilch® and Jones Stripped™ brands and sells through its distribution network in markets primarily across North America. A leader in the premium soda category, Jones is known for its variety of flavors and innovative labeling technique that incorporates always-changing photos sent in from its consumers. Jones Soda is sold through traditional beverage retailers.
For more information, visit www.jonessoda.com or www.myjones.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150916006578/en/
American Brewing Announces Completion of Bucha Acquisition.
EDMONDS, WA / ACCESSWIRE / September 8, 2015 / On August 19, American Brewing Company, Inc.(R), (ABRW) ("ABC"), an award-winning micro-brewing company and owner of bucha (TM) live Kombucha, released the company's 10Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2015. This quarterly report also reflected the audited financials of its recent acquisition of bùcha (TM) live Kombucha brand.
The "bucha" brand and its operations are now fully integrated into American Brewing. The transformational accretive acquisition of "bucha" was a result of a 26% dilutive transaction that resulted in an immediate revenue increase of over 300%. Cash and equity were used and the equity is subject to a very shareholder friendly, 18-month leak-out provision. In addition to this, we currently have other exciting deals in the pipeline, both "white label" and "acquisitive" that could have a similar impact on the company. Our lengthy self-imposed quiet period due to the acquisition audit has ended and shareholders can now expect frequent communication.
Excluding one-time charges related to the acquisition, we are now cash flow positive.
Guidance
Based on organic growth, addition of new store locations to existing accounts, accompanied by new accounts, we anticipate fiscal year 2016 revenues to increase roughly 63%. This does not include the beverage deals in our pipeline.
The macro outlook for Kombucha is impressive as well according to KBI, with U.S. sales estimated to grow from $500 million in 2015 to $1.8 billion by 2020. According to the Kombucha Brewers International Union, Kombucha is experiencing 30% growth in the natural channel and 50% growth in the conventional channel. It is the fastest growing functional beverage category. Our búcha brand grew 79% from 2013 to 2014.
We now have the opportunity to capitalize on the established business that bucha(TM) has created over the years, by using our own proprietary processes and great flavors. We already have a significant footprint in Kroger, Safeway and Whole Foods, just to name a few. We anticipate further distribution opportunities along with increasing shelf space, accompanied by more accretive transactions in our pipeline.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Securities Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. These statements include, without limitation, predictions and guidance relating to the company's future financial performance and the research, development and commercialization of its technologies. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as, "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, but they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, as the result of such factors, risks and uncertainties as (1) competition in the markets for the products and services sold by the company, (2) the ability of the company to execute its plans, (3) other factors detailed in the company's public filings with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov/. You are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements.
Contacts
Corporate:
Neil Fallon, CEO
American Brewing Company (R)
Email: neil@americanbrewing.com
SOURCE: American Brewing Company, Inc.
Craft beer brewers just got downgraded to ‘sell’
There’s a lot of noise in the modern beer industry, but if you listen past it, you can hear a story being told.
Earlier this week, Petaluma, Calif.-based Lagunitas Brewing Co. sold a 50% stake to Heineken for an estimated $500 million. Lagunitas founder Tony Magee will tell you, in detail, that it’s simply an acceptance of where craft beer is headed. Magee’s critics will tell you it’s hypocrisy of the highest order from a craft-beer zealot who, just this year, threw down with Sierra Nevada over IPA and kerning. Craft beer’s last remaining hard-liners will say it’s Lagunitas losing its craft credibility under a definition it helped write.
All of the above misses the point.
Within the same week, MillerCoors’ Tenth and Blake division, home to its Blue Moon and Leinenkugel brands, bought two-year-old San Diego brewer Saint Archer, making it the first brewery in a city of more than 100 to be bought out by a major brewer. Some uncharitably called them a brewery built to sell out. Others, especially San Diego Padres fans, questioned their commitment to their hometown.
Again, all part of a fairly indiscernible din obscuring a very strong statement.
We’ve been writing this column for a little less than a year...
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/craft-beer-brewers-just-got-downgraded-to-sell-2015-09-11
China New Borun $BORN, $Announces First Quarter 2015 Unaudited Financial Results.
BEIJING, May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- China New Borun Corporation (NYSE: BORN; "Borun" or the "Company"), a leading producer and distributor of corn-based edible alcohol in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015.
Mr. Jinmiao Wang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Borun, commented on the results, "We are glad that our top line beat the high end of our guidance for the first quarter, as we experienced better-than-expected demand for edible alcohol. However, the competitive landscape during the first quarter continued to be very challenging for the mid-to-low end baijiu producers, causing a sequential decline of 2.5% in average selling price ("ASP") for edible alcohol. At the same time, China government's recent move to ease import restrictions on corn caused double-digit percentage decline in the ASP of corn-based by-products.
Recognizing the challenging environment for corn processors, authorities in Heilongjiang province, including Finance Bureau, Food Bureau and Agricultural Development Bank of China, this April, jointly released guidance for subsidies to corn-processing entities with over 100,000 tons of corn capacity. As one of the largest corn processing companies in Heilongjiang province, we are qualified to participate in designated bids to not only purchase corn at favored prices but also potentially to receive RMB200 per ton of corn purchased through such bids and processed by the end of 2015. This subsidy grant coupled with our pre-purchase and storage capability should further enhance our significant cost advantages," Mr. Wang concluded.
First Quarter 2015 Quick View
Total revenue decreased 8.8% to RMB570.9 million ($93.0 million[1]) from RMB625.7 million in the first quarter of 2014.
Gross profit decreased 34.5% to RMB59.2 million ($9.6 million) from RMB90.5 million in the first quarter of 2014.
Net income decreased 59.8% to RMB15.8 million ($2.6 million) from RMB39.3 million in the first quarter of 2014.
Basic and diluted earnings per American Depositary Share ("ADS") were RMB0.61 ($0.10) for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. Each ADS represents one of the Company's ordinary shares.
First Quarter 2015 Financial Performance
For the first quarter of 2015, revenue decreased by 8.8% year-over-year to RMB570.9 million ($93.0 million) from RMB625.7 million in the same period of 2014. The decrease in revenue was mainly due to the decrease in the average selling price in edible alcohol and its by-products and lower sales volume in by-products.
Revenue breakdown by product lines is as follows:
Revenue from edible alcohol decreased by 1.3% to RMB394.2 million ($64.2 million) in the first quarter of 2015, compared to RMB399.4 million in the first quarter of 2014. The sales volume of edible alcohol in the first quarter of 2015 increased by 1.3% year-over-year to 76,796 tons, while the average selling price of edible alcohol decreased by 2.5% year-over-year to RMB5,134 per ton.
Revenue from DDGS Feed decreased by 19.1% to RMB124.0 million ($20.2 million) in the first quarter of 2015, compared to RMB153.4 million in the first quarter of 2014. The sales volume of DDGS Feed in the first quarter of 2015 decreased by 2.3% year-over-year to 67,484 tons, and the average selling price decreased by 17.2% year-over-year to RMB1,838 per ton.
Revenue from liquid carbon dioxide decreased by 62.8% to RMB4.3 million ($0.7 million) in the first quarter of 2015, compared to RMB11.6 million in the first quarter of 2014. The sales volume of liquid carbon dioxide in the first quarter of 2015 decreased by 17.0% year-over-year to 26,015 tons, and the average selling price decreased by 55.3% year-over-year to RMB166 per ton.
Revenue from crude corn oil decreased by 15.5% to RMB38.4 million ($6.3 million) in the first quarter of 2015, compared to RMB45.4 million in the first quarter of 2014. The sales volume of crude corn oil in the first quarter of 2015 decreased by 4.0% year-over-year to 5,792 tons, while the average selling price decreased by 12.0% year-over-year to RMB6,613 per ton.
Revenue from chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) decreased by 32.7% to RMB10.0 million ($1.6 million) in the first quarter of 2015, compared to RMB14.9 million in the first quarter of 2014. The sales volume of CPE in the first quarter of 2015 decreased by 31.1% year over year to 1,170 tons, while the average selling price decreased by 2.3% to RMB8,547 per ton.
During the first quarter of 2015, gross profit decreased by 34.5% to RMB59.2 million ($9.6 million) from RMB90.5 million in the same period of 2014. Gross margin for the first quarter of 2015 decreased to 10.4%, from 14.5% in the same period of 2014, which was primarily attributable to a decrease in average selling price of edible alcohol and its by-products.
Operating income decreased by 41.3% to RMB46.2 million ($7.5 million) in the first quarter of 2015, from RMB78.8 million in the same period of 2014, primarily due to lower gross profit earned.
Selling expenses were RMB1.2 million ($0.2 million) in the first quarter of 2015, remain stable with that in the same period of 2014.
General and administrative expenses increased by RMB1.3 million, or 12.6% to RMB11.8 million ($1.9 million) in the first quarter of 2015, from RMB10.5 million in the same period of 2014.
Income tax expenses in the first quarter of 2015 were RMB5.3 million ($0.9 million), representing an effective tax rate of 25.0%.
Net income decreased by 59.8% to RMB15.8 million ($2.6 million) in the first quarter of 2015, compared to RMB39.3 million in the same quarter of 2014. In the first quarter of 2015, basic and diluted earnings per share and per ADS were RMB0.61 ($0.10), and the Company had 25.7 million weighted average basic and diluted shares outstanding.
As of March 31, 2015, cash and bank deposits of RMB664.6 million ($108.2 million) decreased by RMB165.8 million, compared with RMB830.4 million as of December 31, 2014. Cash flows generated from operating activities for the first quarter of 2015 were RMB14.1 million ($2.3 million), compared with cash flow used in operating of RMB332.0 million in the first quarter of 2014.
Financial Outlook
The Company estimates that its revenue for the second quarter of 2015 will be in the range of RMB620 million ($100.9 million) to RMB660 million ($107.5 million), a decrease of approximately 1.3% to a decrease of 7.3% over the same quarter of 2014.
This guidance is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Company's current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, which are all subject to change.
Conference Call
Borun's management will hold a corresponding earnings conference call and live webcast at 8:00 a.m. E.T. on Friday, May 22, 2015 (8:00 p.m. Beijing time on Friday, May 22, 2015) to discuss the results and highlights from the first quarter of 2015 and answer questions from investors. A webcast of the call will be available at http://ir.chinanewborun.com. Listeners may access the call by dialing:
United States Toll Free:
1-866-519-4004
US Toll/International:
1-845-675-0437
Hong Kong Toll Free:
800-906-601
Hong Kong Toll:
852-3018-6771
China Toll Free:
800-819-0121
China Toll Free (Mobile):
400-620-8038
Conference ID:
American Brewing Company $ABRW, $0.42 Releases Letter to Shareholders
EDMONDS, WA / ACCESSWIRE / May 21, 2015 / American Brewing Company, Inc.(R), (ABRW) ("ABC"), an award-winning micro-brewing company and owner of bucha(TM) live Kombucha, today released the following letter to its shareholders.
Dear Shareholders,
I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on what is transpiring at our Company, notably regarding the acquisition of the bucha(TM) live Kombucha brand from B&R Liquid Adventures, LLC.
As many of you know, the Company has been transformed into a full beverage company. The natural/organic foods industry is one of the fastest growing beverage segments. Our goal is to become an established brand in this industry, with a footprint in the majority of the states. We now have the opportunity to capitalize on the established business that bucha(TM) has created over the years using our proprietary processes and great flavors. With solid double digit growth in the present and also anticipated in the future, we are excited about the prospects.
We believe that ABC is differentiated from other Kombucha tea providers, as the flavor profile of our drink is purposed for mainstream audiences. We believe that we are making a delicious beverage with the same health benefits commonly associated with Kombucha tea. In addition, we believe we have significant competitive advantages with our newly formed and experienced management team. Our new COO, Chuck Santry, comes from the food industry, where he started with Santa Barbara Salsa Company (revenue about $800K/yr). Santa Barbara sold to California Creative Foods (at about $4M/yr), which eventually sold to a JV of Pepsico and the Strauss Group (at about $44M/yr). Chuck in that position was able to establish large national distribution networks, as well as an assortment of different private label deals. Our goal is to leverage Chuck's pre-existing relationships and grow the bucha brand in this same fashion.
Given the large size of the Kombucha purchase, many of you have expressed an interest in seeing actual sales & profit numbers. Rest assured that this information will be released upon the anticipated completion of the audited financials around the middle of June. Included in the release will be the 2014 sales and P/L information as well as the change (in terms of dollars and percent) from 2013, and forward guidance based on our first few months of sales within the ABRW umbrella.
When reviewing these numbers please note that they 1) include large non-recurring legal fees which will not be applied in the future and 2) inefficiencies of prior management. Neither of those is applicable in the present or future now that we own the brand, so there should be significant immediate bottom line improvement to be recognized by us. We have applied new cost structures and our goal is to not only grow the business, but to show profitability from operations.
On a related note, both myself and Julie Anderson (the Company's Vice President) forgave $500,000 of the $600,000 in accrued compensation we were owed. This was done after much deliberation as our way of showing our fellow shareholders our dedication to the Company.
Currently a force in the natural segment, we desire to expand our sparkling Kombucha tea into the mainstream market. We hope to achieve that by recruiting a well-recognized spokesperson and introducing our products into traditional stores and large box retailers. We have already made significant footprints in Kroger (per sales data we are the #2 selling brand), Safeway and Whole Foods just to name a few.
Another growth avenue we are exploring is introducing our product in a private label format. The effect of this is to broaden the consumer awareness of kombucha.
Finally, I would like to discuss our $500,000 secondary stock offering we filed in April. These funds are to be used for future accretive acquisitions, general corporate needs and to possibly repay some of the approximately $400,000 of promissory notes we incurred related to the purchase of bucha. None of this money was needed for day to day operations. I said it in my last shareholder letter and it is worth mentioning again.
There is no doubt that American Brewing has accomplished a great deal this year. I am very proud of all of the people that have worked so hard to get us here. I remain excited about the possibilities that are before us. And of course I want to thank you for the trust and confidence that you've placed in our company.
We anticipate having many more updates in the future. Until then, I and the rest of the American Brewing family wish you best of health and prosperity.
About American Brewing Company(R)
Founded in 2010, American Brewing Company, Inc.(R), is an award-winning micro-brewing company based out of Edmonds, Washington. American Brewing Company's(R) current offerings include Breakaway IPA (named 'Best in the West' by Beer West Magazine), American Blonde (featured in GQ Magazine), Flying Monkey Dogfight Pale Ale, and Caboose Oatmeal Stout. American Brewing Company(R) also owns bucha live Kombucha which features 8 flavors of its sparkling kombucha tea. For more information, please visit: http://www.americanbrewing.com/. And http://www.mybucha.com/ .
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Securities Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. These statements include, without limitation, predictions and guidance relating to the company's future financial performance and the research, development and commercialization of its technologies. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as, "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, but they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, as the result of such factors, risks and uncertainties as (1) competition in the markets for the products and services sold by the company, (2) the ability of the company to execute its plans, (3) other factors detailed in the company's public filings with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov/. You are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements.
Contacts
Corporate:
Neil Fallon, CEO
American Brewing Company(R)
Email: neil@americanbrewing.com
SOURCE: American Brewing Company, Inc.(R)
Glucose Health, Inc. $GLUC $0.04 Announces New Natural Product for Type-2 Diabetes Market
BENTONVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Glucose Health, Inc. (GLUC) (the “Company”) today announced completion of the first production run of Glucose Health™ Natural Blood Sugar Maintenance – an innovative new product targeting the Type-2 Diabetes consumer market segment.
Glucose Health™ is of particular interest to 86 million Americans – the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate of persons who will develop Type-2 Diabetes in their lifetime.1 Glucose Health™ is a superior product to the established national brands often recommended by pharmacists, doctors and dieticians today, for four compelling reasons:
1. Glucose Health™ is a “good source of fiber” – fiber is well established as supporting glycemic health.
2. In addition to fiber, Glucose Health™ contains five additional natural compounds – compounds certain peer-reviewed clinical studies indicate have important impacts on glucose, insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol.
3. The proprietary Glucose Health™ formula combining fiber with five beneficial natural compounds is not available from any other manufacturer targeting the Type-2 diabetes consumer market segment.
4. Glucose Health™ is offered in a delicious Blueberry Tea Mix, which dissolves perfectly with 8-12 ounces of water and is 100% non-dairy.
Glucose Health, CEO Murray Fleming commented:
“Glucose Health™ is a product with a competitive edge in a growing market segment. With Glucose Health™ product inventory available beginning today, we now look forward to updating our shareholders and other interested investors regarding our sales initiatives. We expect our first sales related update the week of June 22, 2015, followed by our periodic Securities and Exchange Commission filing on August 14, 2015.”
About Glucose Health, Inc. (GLUC)
Glucose Health, Inc. dietary products engage the large and growing market of consumers aware of the seriousness of Type 2 diabetes and proactively seeking natural blood sugar health solutions. The CDC currently estimates 2 in 5 adults – 86 million Americans – will develop Type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Glucose Health, Inc. dietary products are marketed to pharmacists, doctors and dieticians and via the Company’s informative product website www.glucosehealth.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150521005270/en/
Contact:
Glucose Health, Inc.
Murray Fleming, CEO, 479-802-3827
www.glucosehealthinc.com
Eastside Distilling $ESTI $1.50 Teams With Reed's $REED $6.12 to Serve Award-Winning Beverages at the 2015 Portland Rose Festival.
PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwired - May 21, 2015) - As the official provider of spirits for the 2015 Portland Rose Festival, Eastside Distilling, Inc. (OTCQB: ESDI) has teamed with Reed's, Inc. (NYSE MKT: REED) to serve Reed's award-winning ginger brews as the perfect mixer for Eastside's award-winning master crafted spirits.
The historic Rose Festival is Portland's official annual civic event that attracts more than 1 million visitors each year. The organizers of the event recently granted Portland based Eastside Distilling exclusive rights for spirit sales at CityFair, the Rose Festival's main venue for food, rides and entertainment.
The Eastside Lounge, located near the RoZone live music stage, will offer Reed's Ginger Brews paired with a variety of Eastside's spirits, including Portland Potato Vodka, Below Deck Spiced Rum and Cherry Bomb Whiskey. The RoZone VIP lounge will also serve Eastside spirits exclusively along with Reeds.
"We are excited to showcase our award-winning non-alcoholic Ginger Brews with Eastside Distilling at the Portland Rose Festival," said Chris Reed, founder and CEO of Reeds. "There are over 200 cocktail recipes that use ginger beer, but the Moscow Mule has become one of the most popular cocktails in recent years. The combination of Reed's Ginger Brew, Eastside's Portland Potato Vodka, limes and fresh mint over ice is going to make for an amazing cocktail at this fantastic venue. But the Mule is not just about Vodka. Patrons will have the opportunity to enjoy Reed's Ginger Brews in a Dark and Stormy mixed with Below Deck Spiced Rum, or savor a Cherry Bomb Mule with Whiskey. Simply put, you can't enjoy the perfect cocktail without the perfect mixer, and our distinctive ginger brews combined with Eastside's amazing line of spirits should suit the most discerning cocktail enthusiast."
Eastside Distilling CEO, Steven Earles, commented: "We are thrilled to partner with Reed's at this major event. As the nation's number one soda in the craft natural soft drink space, we believe Reed's Ginger Brew perfectly complements the unique taste and quality of our master crafted spirits."
About Reed's, Inc.
Reed's, Inc. makes the top-selling natural sodas in the natural foods industry that is sold in more than 15,000 natural and mainstream supermarkets nationwide. Reed's products are also available at specialty gourmet, natural food stores, retail stores, convenience stores and restaurants nationwide, as well as select international markets. The company's seven award-winning non-alcoholic Ginger Brews are unique in the beverage industry, being brewed -- not manufactured -- and using fresh ginger, spices and fruits in a brewing process that predates commercial soft drinks. The company owns the top-selling root beer line in natural foods, Virgil's Root Beer, and a top-selling cola line in natural foods, China Cola. In 2012, the company launched the Reed's Culture Club Kombucha line of organic live beverages. Other product lines include Reed's Ginger Candies and Reed's Ginger Ice Creams. Last year, Reed's celebrated 25 years of hand-crafting the best sodas in the world, naturally. For more information about Reed's, please visit www.reedsinc.com or call 800-99-REEDS.
About Eastside Distilling
Eastside Distilling, Inc. (OTCQB: ESDI) has been producing high-quality, master crafted spirits since 2008 and is located in Southeast Portland's Distillery Row. Makers of award winning spirits, the company is unique in the marketplace and is distinguished by its highly decorated product lineup that includes Burnside Bourbon, Below Deck Rums, Portland Potato Vodka and a distinctive line of infused whiskeys. All Eastside spirits are master crafted from natural ingredients for unparalleled quality and taste. The company is publicly traded under the symbol OTCQB: ESDI. For more information visit: www.eastsidedistilling.com or follow the company on: Twitter & Facebook.
About the Portland Rose Festival Foundation
The Portland Rose Festival has made Portland, Oregon a better place to live and visit for 107 years. As Portland's Official Festival, The Rose Festival attracts over one million people to the Pacific Northwest every year. By sharing community pride, the Rose Festival provides Portland with fun and entertainment for all ages and generates more than $75 million for the region's economy and local businesses. The Portland Rose Festival Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that serves families and individuals with programs and events that promote the arts, education and volunteerism. Go to RoseFestival.org for more information on festival activities.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release may be forward-looking statements. Such matters involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the following: changes in economic conditions; general competitive factors; acceptance of the Company's products in the market; the Company's success in obtaining new customers; the Company's success in product development; the Company's ability to execute its business model and strategic plans; the Company's success in integrating acquired entities and assets, and all the risks and related information described from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including the financial statements and related information contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and interim Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Examples of forward-looking statements in this release may include statements related to our strategic focus, product verticals, anticipated revenue, and profitability. The Company assumes no obligation to update the cautionary information in this release.
Contact:
Investor Relations:
Reed's, Inc.
Tel 800-99-REEDS
ir@reedsinc.com
Company
Eastside Distilling, Inc.
Julie Bohn
Executive Assistant to the CEO
Tel 971-888-4264
inquiries@eastsidedistilling.com
Jones Soda Co. $JSDA $0.32. Expands Its Limited Edition Label Program in Canada, Texas, California and the Northwest
Jones Soda Co. (JSDA), a leading premium beverage company known for its customer-designed packaging, today announced the expansion of its limited edition, region-specific Jones Soda, bottled and sold exclusively in the respective markets of Canada, Texas, California and the Northwest.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150519007019/en/
Jones has always been proud of its ties to the community and starting in 2013, launched the Made in Michigan initiative as a way to thank Michiganders for their years of support. In 2013 and 2014, Jones bottled and sold the product exclusively in Michigan, with labels featuring images of Michigan submitted by consumers. Jones is excited to expand this program in 2015 to Canada, Texas, California and the Northwest – a tribute to other markets that have shown incredible support for Jones Soda over the years.
Made in Canada and Made in California limited edition bottles will be produced in each of these markets and feature consumer submitted photos showcasing these regions. Although we are not producing bottles of our cane sugar soda in the Northwest or Texas, Snapped in the Northwest and Shot in Texas is a shout out to two markets that continue to show a lot of love for the Jones brand. These products will be available at retailers throughout each region while supplies last.
“Just like Made in Michigan, this year’s program is aimed at honoring the communities that have supported Jones over the years,” says Jones Soda CEO, Jennifer Cue. “From the enthused emails and posts on social media, to the amazing fans who show up at our events, it truly is a testament to our brand. For us, it’s always been about the people so we created a tribute to our fan base in a way that only Jones Soda can.”
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About Jones Soda Co.
Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Jones Soda Co.® (OTCQB: JSDA) markets and distributes premium beverages under Jones® Soda, Jones Zilch®, Jones Stripped™, and Jones Sparkling Water brands and sells through its distribution network in markets primarily across North America. A leader in the premium soda category, Jones is known for its variety of flavors and innovative labeling technique that incorporates always-changing photos sent in from its consumers. The diverse product line of Jones offers something for everyone – pure cane sugar soda, zero-calorie soda, an all-naturally sweetened sparkling beverage with only 30 calories and a sparkling water with no sugar, artificial flavors or calories. Jones product lines are available through traditional beverage retailers and in many retailers you would not expect to find carbonated beverages. For more information, please visit www.jonessoda.com or www.myjones.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150519007019/en/
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150519007019/en/
Contact:
Jones Soda Co.
Andrew Baumann, 206-436-8711
abaumann@jonessoda.com
Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc. Announces Closing of $3.2 Million Private Placement in Which All Directors and Officers Participated.
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON--(Marketwired - April 29, 2015) - Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Inc. (the "Company" or "Diamond Estates") (http://www.diamondestates.ca) (TSX VENTURE: DWS) is pleased to announce that it has completed a non-brokered private placement of 26,733,288 common shares (the "Common Shares") for $0.12 per Common Share for aggregate gross proceeds of $3,207,995 million (the "Offering"). The Company paid finder's fees equal to 7% of the gross proceeds secured by certain finders in the Offering.
The proceeds of the Offering are intended to be used for working capital, the construction of a new retail outlet at the Company's Diamond Estates Winery, sales and marketing initiatives and for general corporate purposes.
The Common Shares issued as part of the Offering are subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from their date of issuance in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities law.
All of the directors and officers of the Company, as well as Oakwest Corporation Limited (a controlling shareholder of the Company whose Vice President and Secretary is David Beutel, the Chairman of the Board of the Company) together subscribed for an aggregate of 11,558,971 Common Shares under the same terms and conditions as the Offering. Upon closing of the Offering, Oakwest Corporation Limited will hold 29,416,382 Common Shares or 29.4% percent of the Company's issued and outstanding Common Shares.
Because insiders of the Company subscribed for Common Shares under the Offering, the Offering is considered to be a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Offering is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of securities being issued to insiders nor the consideration being paid by insiders will exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report prior to the closing of the Offering as details of participation of the insiders had not been finalized prior to today.
About Diamond Estates
Diamond Estates Wines and Spirits Inc. is a producer of high quality wines and a sales agent for over 120 beverage alcohol brands across Canada. The company operates two wineries in the Niagara region of Ontario producing VQA and blended wines under such well-known brand names as 20 Bees, EastDell Estates, Lakeview Cellars, Dois Amigos, Dan Aykroyd, Riders Valley, Candy Wines, Benchmark and Seasons. Through its partnership, Kirkwood Diamond Canada, the Company is a sales agent for top selling international brands in all regions of the country as well as being a distributor in the western provinces. These recognizable brands include Fat Bastard wines from France, Fireball Whiskey Shooter from Canada, Hpnotiq Liqueur from France, Anciano wines from Spain, Francois Lurton wines from France and Argentina, Brick Brewing from Canada, Buffalo Trace Bourbon from USA, Flor de Cana rum from Nicaragua, Iceberg Vodka from Canada and many others. For further information on the company, please visit the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.For further information about the Company, please contact:
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Statements made in this press release include forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements, such as the economy generally, regulatory approvals, participation in the Offering, competition in Diamond Estates' target markets, the demand for Diamond Estates' products, and the availability of funding. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Diamond Estates does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from Diamond Estates' expectations and projections.
Contact:
J. Murray Souter
President & CEO
jmurraysouter@diamondwines.com
(905) 641-1042 Ext. 234
Alan Stratton, CPA, CA
Chief Financial Officer
astratton@diamondwines.com
(905) 641-1042 Ext. 225
Coconut Water Maker Vita Coco Broadens Overseas Footprint
By Mike Esterl
Vita Coco, the top-selling coconut water brand in the U.S., is making a big global push.
A decade after being first delivered to New York bodegas on inline skates, it is now sold in about 30 countries, twice as many as a year ago, said Michael Kirban, co-founder and chief executive of closely held All Market Inc., which owns Vita Coco.
About 30% of revenue will be generated outside the U.S. this year, with the company on track to book another year of double-digit sales growth overall, he added in an interview. New markets since late 2014 include China, New Zealand and Spain, with South Africa planned for later this year.
Global retail sales of Vita Coco rose 31% last year to $421.1 million, surpassing PepsiCo Inc.'s ($PEP) Kero Coco brand for the first time, according to Euromonitor. Long popular in countries like Brazil and India, coconut water remains a niche category in most of the world but is growing quickly.
Coca-Cola Co. ($KO) veteran Mike Shepherd is overseeing the expansion in Asia Pacific, where Vita Coco is currently distributed in nine countries. He joined All Market in April after 15 years at the soft drink giant, most recently as general manager for Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mongolia.
Mr. Shepherd expects to have a regional team of 10 to 12 people in Hong Kong by the end of the year, in addition to existing offices in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Singapore.
New York-based All Market sold a roughly 25% stake to Beijing'sReignwood Group for about $165 million last year. Reignwood is the exclusive distributor of Red Bull energy drinks in China and is now slowly rolling out Vita Coco in the country.
Mr. Kirban said Vita Coco is now in about 15,000 stores in three Chinese cities and expects to expand distribution to 40,000 stores by this summer. The company launched a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign in the country earlier this year, including digital, magazine and billboards ads.
"If China keeps going like it's going, it could be 40% of the overall business in three to five years," said Mr. Kirban. So far, though, it is only about 3% of the company revenue.
The company says sales in Europe are up about 80% from last year. It says it now sells more Vita Coco in London than in New York.
In the U.S., where Vita Coco has an estimated 40% market share, sales are growing around 30% this year, according to the company. Mr. Kirban is overseeing daily operations in the U.S. after country president Jeff Popkin left the company earlier this month.
Vita Coco's main competitors in the U.S. are Coke, which owns the Zico coconut water brand, and PepsiCo, which owns O.N.E. and Naked. Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (
DPS
) handles the bulk of Vita Coco's U.S. distribution.
Mr. Kirban said All Market has had conversations with potential buyers in recent years other than Reignwood about selling stakes in the business, but that there are no talks currently.
Mr. Kirban, co-founder Ira Liran and Belgian investment firm Verlinvest together own more than 50% of All Market. About 10% is owned by other shareholders, including employees.
Writer to Mike Esterl at mike.esterl@wsj.com
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American Brewing Management (ABRW) Forgives $500,000 in Accrued Compensation.
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 27, 2015
American Brewing Company, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Washington
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
333-193725
27-2432263
(Commission File Number)
(IRS Employer Identification No.)
180 West Dayton Street, Warehouse 102, Edmonds, WA
98020
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
(425) 774-1717
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K and other written and oral statements made from time to time by us may contain so-called "forward-looking statements," all of which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expects," "plans," "will," "forecasts," "projects," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning. One can identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements are likely to address our growth strategy, financial results and product and development programs. One must carefully consider any such statement and should understand that many factors could cause actual results to differ from our forward looking statements. These factors may include inaccurate assumptions and a broad variety of other risks and uncertainties, including some that are known and some that are not. No forward looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially.
Information regarding market and industry statistics contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K is included based on information available to us that we believe is accurate. It is generally based on industry and other publications that are not produced for purposes of securities offerings or economic analysis. We have not reviewed or included data from all sources, and cannot assure investors of the accuracy or completeness of the data included in this Current Report. Forecasts and other forward-looking information obtained from these sources are subject to the same qualifications and the additional uncertainties accompanying any estimates of future market size, revenue and market acceptance of products and services. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement. As a result, investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
Item 1.02 Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement
See Item 8.01 below.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On April 27, 2015, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of directors, Neil Fallon, forgave Three Hundred Sixty Thousand Dollars ($360,000) in accrued officer compensation, which shall be removed from the liabilities of the Company. Neil Fallon is no longer owed any accrued compensation by the Company.
On April 27, 2015, the Company's Vice President and member of the board of directors, Julie Anderson, forgave One Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($140,000) in accrued officer compensation, which shall be removed from the liabilities of the Company. Julie Anderson is still owed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) in accrued officer compensation.
- 2 -
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
AMERICAN BREWING COMPANY, INC.
Date: April 27, 2015
By:
/s/ Neil Fallon
Neil Fallon, Chief Executive Officer
By:
/s/ Julie Anderson
Julie Anderson, Vice President
Craft Brew Alliance Reconfirms 2015 Guidance.
Craft Brew Alliance Reconfirms 2015 Guidance and Outlines Two-Year Capital Expenditure Plans to Support Long-Term Strategy
CBA’s Investments in Expanding Western Footprint Support Home Market Momentum and Position Company to Achieve 2017 Gross Margin Target
Business Wire Craft Brew Alliance
PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) (BREW), a leading craft brewing company, announced today that it is reconfirming 2015 full year guidance and providing additional details of its capital expenditure plans for 2015 and 2016, which expand on the company’s recently announced investment projects. CBA recently announced two major brewery expansions in Hawaii and Oregon, as well as a new brewpub in Seattle. The planned investments will increase CBA’s annual brewing capacity by 300,000 barrels (BBLs) in 2017, while supporting the company’s long-term gross margin goals.
The expansion in the West reflects CBA’s commitment to growing and investing in its brands’ home markets through providing meaningful scale and flexibility to meet increasing consumer demand. Widmer Brothers Brewing, headquartered in Portland, Ore., will add an additional 200,000 BBLs to its existing brewery, while Kona Brewing, headquartered in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, will build a new state-of-the-art 100,000 BBL brewery in its home market of Hawaii. The new Redhook Brewery brewpub will be located in one of Seattle’s historic neighborhoods, where Redhook was founded more than 33 years ago. The brewery expansions are scheduled to be complete by early 2017, and it is anticipated that the new brewpub in Seattle will be complete by the end of 2017.
“We’re thrilled to be embarking on projects that will directly support the long-term growth of our brands in their home markets and enable us to brew more of our exceptional craft beers,” said Andy Thomas, chief executive officer, CBA. “These investments, reflected in our two-year capital expenditure plan, represent the next deliberate step towards achieving continued topline growth, reinforcing our connection to our home markets, and delivering on our 2017 gross margin target of 35%, while increasing long-term shareholder value.”
Reconfirmed financial highlights for 2015
Owned beer shipment growth between 6% and 8%. [Note: The Company is adjusting its guidance in response to analyst feedback and to align with industry practices. We will not provide annual depletion guidance in financial press releases but will share actuals on analyst calls and in 10-K and 10-Q filings.]
Average price increase of 1% to 2%.
A range of 10% growth to a decline of 10% in contract brewing revenue as we continue to manage the most efficient use of our owned capacity.
Gross margin rate of 30.5% to 31.5%. Through ongoing efforts to optimize our brewing locations and improve our capacity utilization and efficiency, we continue to expect gross margin expansion to 35% in 2017.
SG&A expense ranging from $58 million to $62 million, primarily reflecting reinvestment into our sales and marketing infrastructure, as well as expanded consumer and trade programming.
Reconfirmed capital expenditures for 2015; anticipated capital expenditures for 2016
The company reconfirms capital expenditures of approximately $17 million to $21 million in 2015, which will support the initial expansion project start-up costs, as well as continued investments in quality, safety, sustainability, capacity and efficiency.
For 2016, the company anticipates capital expenditures in a similar range, between $17 million and $21 million, to bring the expansion projects to completion.
CBA will report full financial results for the first quarter on Wednesday, May 6, 2015, with an Earnings Call for investors and shareholders on Thursday morning, May 7, 2015, at 11:30 a.m. EDT. More information can be found on the Investor’s section of the Company’s website at www.craftbrew.com.
About Craft Brew Alliance
CBA is a leading craft brewing company, which brews, brands and markets some of the world’s most respected and best-loved American craft beers. The company is home to three of the earliest pioneers in craft beer: Redhook Ale Brewery, Washington’s largest craft brewery founded in 1981; Widmer Brothers Brewing, Oregon’s largest craft brewery founded in 1984; and Kona Brewing Company, Hawaii’s oldest and largest craft brewery founded in 1994. As part of Craft Brew Alliance, these craft brewing legends have expanded their reach across the U.S. and more than 15 international markets.
In addition to growing and nurturing distinctive brands rooted in local heritage, Craft Brew Alliance is committed to developing innovative new category leaders, such as Omission Beer, which is the #1 beer in the gluten free beer segment, and Square Mile Cider, a tribute to the early American settlers who purchased the first plots of land in the Pacific Northwest.
Publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BREW, Craft Brew Alliance is headquartered in Portland, OR and operates five breweries and five pub restaurants across the U.S. For more information about CBA and its brands, please visit www.craftbrew.com.
Contact:
Craft Brew Alliance, Inc.
Investor Contact:
Edwin Smith, 503-972-7884
ed.smith@craftbrew.com
or
Media Contact:
Jenny McLean, 503-331-7248
Concha y Toro (VCO) Breaks through Billion-Dollar Mark in 2014.
SANTIAGO, Chile--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Concha y Toro (VCO) enjoyed a banner year in 2014. With annual sales of U.S. $1,018 million, the company broke through the billion-dollar mark for the first time. The world’s fourth largest wine company in sales volume and second largest in terms of surface of vineyards, with a presence in 145 countries, Concha y Toro registered record sales of 33.2-million cases in 2014 and growth of +22.6% (in CLP) over the previous year.
In particular, the company’s flagship brand, Casillero del Diablo, sealed a historic 2014 with growth of +17.4% and sales in excess of 4.4 million cases. Available in 140 markets worldwide, Casillero del Diablo is a leading global wine brand and an international front-runner in the best-value category.
These results are largely attributable to a strengthening of Concha y Toro’s overseas subsidiaries, collectively accounting for 66% of company sales. This strategy has led to a more informed understanding of individual markets, resulting in enhanced positioning and increased distribution for Concha y Toro’s comprehensive portfolio of multiple brands.
REGIONAL GROWTH: NORTH AMERICA
Consolidated sales in Canada and the U.S. totalled almost U.S. $200 million and 5.9 million cases.
The company’s presence in the U.S. includes production and the commercial operation of Fetzer Vineyards, plus sales and marketing of Chilean and Argentine wines through U.S. subsidiary Excelsior Wine Company, which also distributes the California wines of Little Black Dress and Five Rivers.
U.S. sales of bottled wine from Fetzer Vineyards totaled 1.9 million cases, a reduction on 2013 due to a calculated repositioning in 2014 emphasizing higher-price categories across the board.
A growth of +2.6% in average prices and an increase of +11.3% in sales of the Bonterra line are the immediate and successful outcome of strategies aimed achieving greater brand value.
Excelsior Wine Company sales rose +1.9% in volume, reflecting a more efficient promotions policy aimed at generating heightened value and increased profitability. The company also invested in a more regionally-oriented sales force which, together with a heightened focus on premium-and-above categories, has led to outstanding growth for Casillero del Diablo, Gran Reserva Serie Riberas and Don Melchor.
SUSTAINABILITY
Mindful that production of quality wines is best achieved working in harmony with the environment and local communities, Concha y Toro has demonstrated a commitment to sustainable development.
In January 2015, the company opened the Center for Research and Innovation (CRI) in Chile’s Maule Valley. This pioneering initiative, representing an initial investment of about U.S. $5 million, is designed to support viti- and vinicultural research and experiment not only for the benefit of Concha y Toro, but to facilitate a qualitative leap for the entire Chilean wine industry – one of the most important and vibrant sectors of the Chilean economy. This adds to Concha y Toro’s Sustainability Strategic Plan, including ongoing improvements throughout the production chain, incorporating international standards of good practice and reducing the carbon footprint, water footprint and consumption of glass, among other initiatives.
About Concha y Toro
Founded in 1883, Viña Concha y Toro is Latin America’s leading producer and occupies an outstanding position among the world’s most important wine companies, currently exporting to 145 countries. Uniquely, it owns around 10,700 hectares of prime vineyards in Chile, Argentina and United States. The Concha y Toro Group comprises a comprehensive portfolio of successful brands, from the top-of-the-range Don Melchor and Almaviva wines to the flagship Casillero del Diablo line, in addition to the Trivento estate in Argentina and Fetzer and Bonterra from California. The Company has 3,435 employees and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
Contact:
Concha y Toro
Paola Peñafiel
Head of International Press
paola.penafiel@conchaytoro.cl
(+562) 2476 5639
www.conchaytoro.com
EQLB Blowing up. Energize * hydrate * detox. Currently sold at bars and clubs in Las Vegas, Nevada
Widmer Brothers Brewing Announces Major Expansion in Portland.
Pioneering Oregon craft brewery to invest $10 million to expand annual brewing capacity by 200,000 barrels
Portland craft brewing titan gives East Coast partner a nudge toward national growth American City Business Journals
States rewrite microbrew laws as demand for craft beer grows Associated Press
U.S. has new craft beer king, one Ohio brewery in top 25 American City Business Journals
Widmer Brothers Brewing today announced a $10 million investment to expand its brewery on North Russell Street in Portland. The expansion will increase annual production capacity of Oregon’s largest brewery by 200,000 barrels (BBL) to 750,000 BBL. The entire expansion project, which includes significant brew house enhancements and a new innovation brewery, is expected to be completed by early 2017.
This is the sixth major brewery expansion for Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, the brewery’s hometown, since it was founded in 1984. The original 10-barrel Widmer Brothers brewery, located in the Pearl District in northwest Portland, had a 12,000 BBL annual production capacity. The Widmer Brothers brewery moved to its current location in North Portland in 1990, and has since invested in four additional major expansion efforts to grow the brewery to its current 550,000 BBL capacity.
This sixth expansion is not only significant for Widmer Brothers but also for the beer industry in Portland, a city that has become the epicenter of American craft beer over the last 31 years with the help of brewery co-founders Kurt and Rob Widmer. The additional 200,000 BBL in brewing capacity represents over 12 percent of the 1.6 million barrels of beer produced by all Oregon breweries in 2014, and will allow Widmer Brothers to maintain its position as a leader in the craft beer community while contributing materially to the remarkable growth of the Oregon beer market.
The decision to add capacity in Portland builds on the recent resurgence of Widmer Brothers’ flagship Hefeweizen, which grew shipments approximately nine percent in Oregon in 2014, as well as continued momentum for Widmer Brothers Upheaval IPA and its new session-style Replay IPA. Launched in 1986, Hefeweizen is the top-selling craft beer in Oregon, and sales are growing, particularly in the Northwest. The expansion will allow the brewery to meet consumer demand and brew more beer for Oregonians and fans across the country and globe.
As part of the expansion project, Widmer Brothers is also building a new state-of-the-art 10-barrel innovation brewery and a tasting room for brewery tours adjacent to its pub on North Russell Street in Portland, to be completed by the end of 2015. The new innovation brewery will continue the work of Widmer Brothers’ pilot brewery, which has been producing specialty small-batch beers and used for research and new product development for more than 20 years.
“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to continue expanding in our hometown,” said Rob Widmer, co-founder of Widmer Brothers Brewing. “For 31 years in the brewing business, Kurt and I have prided ourselves on smart growth, investing in building this great community, and always focusing on quality above all else. We feel that by keeping our expansion within our current footprint and bringing the pilot brewery to the main brewery campus, we will do just that: make more, quality beer and continue to innovate.”
To expand capacity within the current footprint, the brewery is adding new fermenters, bright beer tanks, and a second filtration line, as well as extending existing tanks to increase cooling capacity. Additional enhancements throughout the brew house are being made to increase production efficiency and leverage new innovations in wastewater treatment and energy recovery, as part of Widmer Brothers’ commitment to sustainability.
The expansion of the Widmer Brothers brewery in Portland will also offer flexibility to support the continued growth of other brands within Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), an innovative brewing company and business model that launched in 2008 with the merger of Widmer Brothers Brewing and Woodinville, Washington-based Redhook Ale Brewery.
For more information on Widmer Brothers Brewing, please visit widmerbrothers.com or see what the brewery is up to on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Widmer Brothers Brewing
Widmer Brothers Brewing was founded in 1984 in Portland, Ore. Brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer, with help from their dad, Ray, helped lead the Pacific Northwest craft beer movement when they began brewing unique interpretations of traditional German beer styles. In 1986, Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the original American-style Hefeweizen, which elevated the brewery to national acclaim. Since then, Hefe has grown to become Oregon’s favorite craft beer and the brewery has continued to push the boundaries, developing beers with an unapologetic, uncompromised commitment to innovation.
The brewery currently brews a variety of award-winning beers including Hefe, Upheaval IPA, Alchemy Pale Ale, Drop Top Amber Ale, a full seasonal lineup, and a series of limited-edition beers. For more information about Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit www.widmerbrothers.com.
About Craft Brew Alliance
Craft Brew Alliance (BREW) is a leading craft brewing company, which brews, brands and markets some of the world’s most respected and best-loved American craft beers. The company is home to three of the earliest pioneers in craft beer: Redhook Ale Brewery, Washington’s largest craft brewery founded in 1981; Widmer Brothers Brewing, Oregon’s largest craft brewery founded in 1984; and Kona Brewing Company, Hawaii’s oldest and largest craft brewery founded in 1994. As part of Craft Brew Alliance, these craft brewing legends have expanded their reach across the U.S. and more than 15 international markets.
In addition to growing and nurturing distinctive brands rooted in local heritage, Craft Brew Alliance is committed to developing innovative new category leaders, such as Omission Beer, which is the #1 beer in the gluten free beer segment, and Square Mile Cider, a tribute to the early American settlers who purchased the first plots of land in the Pacific Northwest.
Publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BREW, Craft Brew Alliance is headquartered in Portland, OR and operates five breweries and five pub restaurants across the U.S. For more information about CBA and its brands, please visit www.craftbrew.com.
Contact:
for Widmer Brothers Brewing
Danny Pettey, 541-968-8242
danny@sasquatchagency.com
Portland craft brewing titan gives East Coast partner a nudge toward national growth.
Owen Covington
Reporter-
Triad Business Journal
A new partnership between Portland-based Craft Brew Alliance and Appalachian Mountain Brewery of Boone, North Carolina, could propel the small N.C. brewery onto a national stage through enhanced capacity and connections.
In the near term, it spells greater exposure in the Triad and throughout North Carolina for Appalachian Mountain Brewery, launched in 2011 and one of the few publicly traded craft breweries in the country.
"I would say it's definitely unique," said Andy Thomas, CEO of Craft Brew Alliance. "I think it's something that you might start to see more of. ... There's more to this partnership than meets the eye."
In Craft Brew Alliance, Appalachian Mountain Brewery finds a partner that already has a national distribution network through distributors affiliated with Anheuser-Busch, which also owns a share of Craft Brew Alliance. Last year, that network distributed more than 766,000 barrels of beer from CBA brands.
Additionally, CBA has breweries located in Oregon, New Hampshire, Washington state, Hawaii and Tennessee, with an overall capacity of more than 1 million barrels annually. Those breweries produce CBA's well-known brands Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. and Kona Brewing Co..
"It's a powerful step forward for Appalachian Mountain Brewery to be aligned with Craft Brew Alliance," said Tim Kent, executive director of the N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association. "Appalachian now will have strong exposure initially through the Piedmont and North Carolina, and I would expect their production will increase significantly. Ultimately, I would expect Appalachian Mountain Brewery to become a recognizable brand all the way from Georgia to Vermont."
The Triad Business Journal has much more on the arrangement.
Blue Water: Developing Caribbean Restaurants and Premium Rums Together.
WHITEFISH, MT / ACCESSWIRE / April 14, 2015 / With a spate of high profile PR coups for their newly launched brand of premium rum having gone off without a hitch in recent months, Blue Water Global Group, Inc. (BLUU) continues cutting a swath in the booming premium rum market with their Blue Water Ultra Premium Rum(TM) and aged spiced Blue Water Caribbean Gold(TM) Premium Rum.
Premium Rums As A Revenue Stream And A Brand Awareness Marketing Tool
Since the launch of the rum brand in February, on the gorgeous island of St. Maarten at an event featuring international reggae star Bankie Banx, often considered to be the Caribbean equivalent of Bob Dylan, Blue Water has subsequently showcased their line of premium rums at the 25th annual Moon Splash Music Festival on Anguilla (the island just north of St. Maarten) started by Banx. The company even helped sponsor this year's Moon Splash, which is the longest running festival of its kind in the Eastern Caribbean and Blue Water was quite proud to also present acclaimed Jamaican reggae band Third World, who performed alongside such established artists as Freddie McGregor, and rising Jamaican reggae star Jah Cure. Moon Splash is a world-famous music festival featuring an eclectic mix of blues, folk, reggae and soul stars, put on in an intimate setting at the Dune Preserve on Anguilla's pristine Rendezvous Bay, making it the perfect venue for Blue Water to help further cement their brand identity and put the Blue Water name and beverage on the lips of influential regional players ahead of the launch of their initial restaurant location and the rum's entry into U.S. markets early next year.
If the video below does not display correctly, follow this link to view an interview with Scott Sitra, BLUU CEO: https://vimeo.com/124226789
SECFilings TV Interview with Mr. Scott Sitra / CEO of Blue Water Global Group (BLUU) from TDM Financial on Vimeo.
The company's premium rums are produced and bottled in the Dominican Republic where time honored distilling methods for rum stretch back to the eighteenth century and the product is sourced from only the freshest pure sugarcane, before being crafted by a maestro ronero (master rum-maker). The company has a shrewd plan to expand their rum brand throughout the targeted Caribbean market where they intend to develop their Caribbean themed casual dining restaurants, before moving the rum into broader U.S. and global spirit markets., and BLUU is currently in the process of migrating the brand from St. Maarten and Anguilla to neighboring islands like Anguilla, St. Barts, the French West Indies, and the British West Indies.
Another high profile event showcasing the company's authentic, pure and classically Caribbean rums is slated for mid-April, when Blue Water will be on-hand at the important industry trade show, Miami Rum Renaissance Festival in Florida. This trade show attracts numerous key people from the industry and saw over 12k attendees last year, making it another superb venue for the company to showcase their premium rums to the kind of rum experts, distributors, importers and retailers who can really help open doors for the brand in U.S. markets. One of the big ongoing themes in the rum industry today is the resurgence of rum's popularity for use in mixed drinks and this topic will no doubt be a major subject of conversation at this year's Rum Renaissance Festival. Global category VP for the biggest privately-held spirits company on earth, and one of the world's major rum market players, Bacardi, recently noted to IWSR that in the U.S., drinks using white rum, like the Daiquiri, were seeing a huge comeback. This comeback has been driven in large part by enthusiastic bartenders and drinks like the Mojito and the Cuba Libre have remained extremely popular on a global scale, helping to further establish the rum resurgence.
Premium white Caribbean rum Blue Water Ultra Premium Rum can be sipped on its own, delivering a surprisingly smooth and balanced flavor. Premium white rums like this also serve ais an ideal mixer for various cocktails, and really bringings out the flavor of the limecitrus in a Daiquiri, or the lime in a Mojito. The relative softening of Castle Brands' (NYSE MKT:ROX) Gosling's rum in Q3 FY2015, with overall sales volumes off by 1.2%, despite overall international and U.S. sales up 4% and 19.8% respectively, is possibly due to their product mix consisting of Bermuda black rum and amber rum. Corby Spirit and Wine (TSX:CSW.A) is another company trying to innovate in the space, bridging out from their dark, tannic and traditional Navy rum, Lamb's Navy Rum, a blend of eighteen Caribbean rums from a variety of islands like Trinidad and Guyana, with a new spiced cherry version to bring in a wider audience to their super-premium dark rums. Versatility in end-user consumption is one of the key drivers for the premium to ultra-premium rum space and bartenders can easily make good use of white rum, as well as the Blue Water Caribbean Gold Premium Rum, with its pure color and sweet undertones from being aged in oak barrels, making it an exceptionally vibrant and classic Caribbean spiced rum, which is even good neat or on the rocks.
The global spirits industry as a whole is set to grow at around 4.1% per annum in coming years according to the September 2014 Global Research & Data Services market report forecast. Rum makes up a 2.6% and growing chunk of that sprawling global market and according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., the nearly $70 billion domestic spirits market saw overall volume rise 2.2% last year to 210 million cases, as supplier sales rose 4% to $23.1 billion. Analysis of the rum segment by Just-Drinks/IWSR out in March of this year indicates that the rum market, excluding "value" and low-priced rums, will grow roughly 8.4% by 2019 to some 64.5 million cases, with the premium, super-premium and ultra-premium segments significantly outpacing the market at around 7.8%, 9.2%, and a whopping 48.1% CAGR respectively.
Caribbean Themed Restaurant Roll Out Proceeding Nicely
Using the premium rums as a marketing tool to help ground the planned rollout of additional Blue Water Bar & Grill restaurants is an ingenious plan and carries with it the added benefit of being a powerful revenue stream for the company. With construction at their initial restaurant location in Indigo Bay, a 150-acre eco-friendly residential development on beautiful white sand beaches within a stone's throw of the thriving Port of St. Maarten on the southern side of the island, having progressed nicely since the groundbreaking in mid-February, Blue Water has been busy drumming up attention for the restaurant concept via their rum. The layout for this first restaurant location looks impeccably well done and customers should be able to enjoy a glass of Blue Water Rum in the swim up pool bar before the end of this year according to information relayed to interested consumers on Blue Water Global Group's Facebook page.
Plans to develop additional restaurants, following the cruise line ports of call in the Caribbean made by the major sector operators like Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line, offering the primarily North American and European tourists a convenient and predictably good Caribbean themed casual dining experience, is a revolutionary move that captures the essence of the tourism Caribbean industry. A report by the British Daily Mail recently showed that only about 80% of cruise passengers leave the boat to dine or shop at a given port, in part because much of the retail market is designed to cynically grab cash from tourists, offering low value at a higher than average cost. This phenomena makes the Blue Water Bar & Grill concept, engineered to offer tourists a high-quality, distinctively Caribbean, but affordable and relaxing island dining experience, a considerable draw that could even bring in more dollars to the local economy. This restaurant concept is aimed at enticing otherwise finicky tourists to get off the ship and experience a slice of the Caribbean, which will be presented in an idyllic and consistent fashion via the Blue Water Bar & Grill locations, giving tourists a real reason to get out, see the town and experience a real culinary delight compared to the cheap/free, mass produced fare they can get onboard.
Blue Water has a truly robust concept here, catering to consumers who have come to expect consistent quality at an affordable price from other successful sector operators like Indianapolis-based franchisor and licensor Noble Roman's (OTC:NROM), whose Noble Roman's Pizza and Tuscano's Italian Style Subs brands helped NROM pull down a nearly 98% jump in pre-tax net income last year, raking in $2.85 million, or $0.14 per basic share. Unlike Noble Roman's though, Blue Water's revenues will not get bogged down by upfront franchisee fees and commissions as the company rolls out the Blue Water Bar & Grill restaurant model over the next five years to other Caribbean islands. A closer comparison for Blue Water might be casual elegance dining player Kona Grill (KONA), which currently operates 31 restaurants serving American grill favorites with an international influence, as well as award-winning sushi, and which just opened their newest restaurant location in the brand new, upscale Mall of San Juan.
The global cruise industry itself is doing quite well, with a projected $39.6 billion in total business, up 6.9% over 2014, and around 22.2 million passengers, up 3.2% over 2014, according to CruiseMarketWatch projections derived from their proprietary databases Cruise Pulse(TM) and Port Pulse(TM), as well as data from leading cruise industry players like Carnival and Royal Caribbean. This is a 7% jump over the roughly $37 billion pulled down by the industry last year and with total passenger projections set to rise 8.1% by 2018 to around 24 million, the move by Blue Water to capture the hearts and minds of tourists to one of the industry's biggest destinations, the Caribbean, is a very solid play. St. Maarten alone brought in a record 2 million cruise passengers last year, a 17.6% increase from 2013, and conservative analysis by the island's biggest newspaper puts the overall spend for only 80% of that visitor total at around $300 million. Florida Caribbean Cruise Association data pegs total cruise tourism expenditures at around $350 million for St. Maarten, second only in the region to The Bahamas, making this island an ideal location for the company's initial restaurant location. Blue Water has been posting some videos of the panoramic ocean view during ongoing pre-construction excavation at their St. Maarten site and the location's beachfront does indeed look stunning, making the existing site plan schematics readily spring to life in the viewer's mind.
Equity Investment Arm Makes Blue Water A Stable Growth Engine
A second major share reduction (12.5 million, or 6.8%) by Blue Water in late February, along with a proportional three-year vesting of 3.9 million restricted shares into the hands of President and CEO Scott Sitra and VP Michael Hume, shows investors just how serious the company is about preventing future dilution and maintaining insider skin in the game. The share reduction follows up on the 150 million shares of common stock cancelled back in November of 2014 that were held by Taurus Financial Partners, LLC, an affiliated shareholder controlled by Sitra, with whom Blue Water has a strategic alliance agreement, and through which the company continues to pursue a third revenue generation stream in the form of early stage equity investments and registered spin-offs. A major milestone achieved during January of 2015 with the company's first equity investment, Stream Flow Media, Inc., in which Blue Water owns an overall equity interest of 19.8%, marked a point of considerable progress for BLUU's investment holding business, with submission of Stream Flow's market maker disclosure documents. The company now simply awaits a FINRA ticker issuance for an OTCBB listing of game-based marketing firm Stream Flow, which is keenly focused on developing online gaming solutions for mobile corporate training, as well as customer loyalty and retention, via cost-effective third-party engagements.
Blue Water Global Group has taken an aggressive approach to building revenue streams and continues to use their premium rum brand as a ramping strategy for fleshing out their restaurant model. Blue Water's investment holding business will continue to serve a key growth function and support BLUU's ambitions to see their restaurant chain dot the most-visited Caribbean islands in the near future.
Register here for email updates on Blue Water Global Group developments: http://www.tdmfinancial.com/emailassets/bluu/bluu_landing.php.
Disclaimer:
Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://secfilings.com/Disclaimer.aspx.
SOURCE: Emerging Growth LLC
Reed's, Inc. Announces Distribution Expansion With Wonderland Distributing Co.
Distribution of Reed's and Virgil's Underway in Northern California
Marketwired Reed's, Inc.
April 14, 2015 8:30 AM
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 14, 2015) - Reed's, Inc. (NYSE MKT: REED), maker of the top-selling sodas in natural food stores nationwide, announced today that it has partnered with Wonderland Distributing Co. in Northern California for distribution of Reed's Ginger Brews and Virgil's sodas throughout Siskiyou County. Wonderland Distributing Co. was founded 65 years ago and currently represents an extensive portfolio of brands including headliners Miller Coors, Heineken, Guinness and Gallo wine and spirits, along with craft brews including Lost Coast, Eel River, Mendocino and Dogfish Head.
Neal Cohane, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Reed's, stated, "Distribution is always the most challenging aspect of beverage sales. Partnering with distributor strongholds in a region is the key to closing voids at a steady pace and increasing the national footprint of our brands. We are eager to expand our brand presence with Wonderland in the Northern California region."
Rich Vanni, Manager of Wonderland Distributing Co., commented, "We have been looking for more natural products that are a great fit with our area of the country. The Reed's and Virgil's brands are the lead items in our continued efforts to meet the demand of retailers catering to natural food enthusiasts. Our company prides itself on consistent service and distribution, and we expect to significantly increase consumer exposure of Reed's and Virgil's in Northern California."
About Wonderland Distributing Co.
Wonderland Distributing Co. was founded in 1949 in Mt. Shasta, California, and today remains a family owned and run distribution company. Wonderland distributes beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks throughout Siskiyou County and services 150+ retail accounts in the territory.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wonderlanddist
About Reed's, Inc.
Reed's, Inc. makes the top-selling natural sodas in the natural foods industry and is sold in over 15,000 natural and mainstream supermarkets nationwide. In addition, Reed's products are sold through specialty gourmet, natural food stores, retail stores, convenience stores and restaurants nationwide and select international markets. Its six award-winning non-alcoholic Ginger Brews are unique in the beverage industry, being brewed, not manufactured and using fresh ginger, spices and fruits in a brewing process that predates commercial soft drinks. The Company owns the top-selling root beer line in natural foods, the Virgil's Root Beer product line, and a top-selling cola line in natural foods, the China Cola product line. In 2012, the Company launched Reed's Culture Club Kombucha line of organic live beverages. Other product lines include: Reed's Ginger Candies and Reed's Ginger Ice Creams. The company is celebrating 25 years of hand crafting the best sodas in the world, naturally, in 2014.
For more information about Reed's, please visit the Company's website at: http://www.reedsinc.com call 800-99-REEDS.
Follow Reed's on Twitter at http://twitter.com/reedsgingerbrew
Reed's Facebook Fan Page at https://www.facebook.com/ReedsGingerBrew
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
Some portions of this press release, particularly those describing Reed's goals and strategies, contain "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement will include words, such as "expects," "should," "believes," "anticipates" or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. While Reed's is working to achieve those goals and strategies, actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include difficulty in marketing its products and services, maintaining and protecting brand recognition, the need for significant capital, dependence on third party distributors, dependence on third party brewers, increasing costs of fuel and freight, protection of intellectual property, competition and other factors, any of which could have an adverse effect on the business plans of Reed's, its reputation in the industry or its expected financial return from operations and results of operations. In light of significant risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation by Reed's that they will achieve such forward-looking statements. For further details and a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, please see our most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as they may be amended from time to time. Reed's undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
5 ways to get ahead in the craft beer business.
Another week, another craft brewery that wants to buy other breweries.
I’ve hinted at this, , but can't honestly say I saw it coming.
Boston-based Harpoon Brewery's co-founder Rich Doyle sold his 40% stake last year when his partners refused to bring in investors to help Harpoon buy up struggling small breweries. Well, now Doyle announced that he's teaming up with Abita Springs, La.-based craft brewer Abita and San Francisco-based private equity firm FFL to form Enjoy Beer LLC.
The purpose of this venture? To buy struggling small breweries and preserve their local autonomy, but centralize their marketing, sales, purchasing, logistics, and finance. If that sounds familiar, it may be because it's similar to the plan that Longmont, Colo.-based Oskar Blues and Boston-based Fireman Capital announced and what Brew Hub and Los Angeles-based private equity firm Yucaipa are attempting to accomplish in Florida, Missouri and elsewhere.
These deals aim at giving small brewers a chance to stabilize and grow, but they're also providing an exit strategy. As craft beer's pioneers reach retirement age and its youngest brewers struggle with increased demand and nearly 3,200 craft competitors, succession planning is no small deal.
From our vantage point, the strategy of Enjoy Beer LLC solidifies one of brewers' five ways out of the business:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-ways-to-get-ahead-in-the-craft-beer-business-2015-04-14?siteid=yhoof2
Brick Brewing ($BIBLF) Reports Record EBITDA of $5.4M for Fiscal 2015.
Fourth Quarter F2015 Highlights:
Net revenue increased to $9.1 million, from $8.0 million in the prior year, with gross margin improving to 31.0% from 25.5%
Selling, Marketing and Administration ("SM&A") expenses increased to $1.7 million from
$1.3 million.
EBITDA improved to $1.8 million in the quarter, vs. $1.3 million.
Full Year F2015 Highlights:
Net Revenues for the full year were $36.3 million, compared to $37.7 million for fiscal 2014.
Full year gross margin improved to 28.1%, from 26.1% in fiscal 2014.
SM&A expenses decreased to $7.6 million, down from $7.8 million the prior year.
Fiscal 2015 EBITDA* increased 17% to $5.4 million compared to EBITDA* reported for fiscal 2014 of $4.6 million.
KITCHENER, ON, April 13, 2015 /CNW/ - Brick Brewing Co. Limited ("Brick" or the "Company") (BRB.TO), the largest Canadian-owned and Canadian-based publicly held brewery in Ontario, today released financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended January 31, 2015. Brick posted record annual EBITDA of $5.4 million on net revenue of $36.3 million. In the fourth quarter, Brick achieved EBITDA of $1.8 million, compared to EBITDA of $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of the prior year.
Brick's president and chief executive officer George Croft said, "Overall, F2015 was a good year for Brick. We grew EBITDA, continued to expand our gross margins, made good progress in building a stronger brand portfolio and increasing our share in craft premium. We also continued to improve our sales execution, revenue management capabilities and increased the efficiency of our operation. As a result, we delivered record EBITDA of $5.4 million."
Brick's premium craft beer brand, Waterloo, posted full year volume growth of 21%. In addition to the successful launch of Waterloo Grapefruit Radler, the Company also achieved strong growth in the Waterloo core offerings – Dark, Pilsner, IPA and Amber. Mr. Croft continued, "Waterloo performance in fiscal 2015 was exceptional, outperforming the craft category by a significant margin." In the Seagram's brand, volume was down 13% for the year, largely due to loss of select LCBO listings. The LCBO listing losses were mitigated by Seagram's apple cider, which grew over 25% in the year, and by Seagram's malt, sold through The Beer Store, which grew over 80%. "The category extensions we've introduced under the Seagram brand are paying dividends. Malt-based beverages and cider are fast growing categories, and our entries there have begun to resonate with consumers. We believe we're in the early stages of growth for cider and malt beverages, so we're looking for this strong performance to continue," said Croft.
Brick previously announced a project to expand its Kitchener facility. The project, targeted for completion by the end of October 2015, is expected to deliver a minimum of $1 million in recurring savings. Russell Tabata, Chief Operating Officer at Brick, noted, "This is the largest capital project in our Company's history, and it's getting our full attention. Several months into the project, we're right on track in terms of progress and spending. On completion, the investment will leave us with a leading edge, fully integrated facility that will allow us to significantly improve our competitive position with the large international brewers."
The following financial information should be read in conjunction with the audited annual financial statements of the Company prepared under IFRS for the year ended January 31, 2015.
Reconciliation of Net Earnings to Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization, and Share Based Payments (EBITDA)*
Additional Information
For further details the Company's complete management discussion and analysis (MD&A) and financial statements for the year ended January 31, 2015 will be available on the investor section of the Brick Brewing website at www.brickbeer.com. This and additional information relating to the Company, including its Annual Information Form, is or will be available on the Company's website and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
About Brick Brewing
Brick is Ontario's largest Canadian-owned brewery. The Company is a regional brewer of award-winning premium quality and value beers and is officially certified under British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standards for Food Safety, one of the highest and most internationally recognized standards for safe food production. Founded in 1984, Brick Brewing Co. was the first craft brewery to start up in Ontario, and is credited with pioneering the present day craft brewing renaissance in Canada. Brick has complemented its Waterloo brand premium craft beers with other popular brands such as Laker, Red Baron, Red Cap and Formosa Springs Draft. In March 2011, Brick purchased the Canadian rights to Seagram Coolers and now produces, sells, markets and distributes Seagram Coolers across Canada. Brick trades on the TSX under the symbol BRB. Visit us at www.brickbeer.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release that do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts constitute forward-looking statements as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "seek", "plan", "believe" or "continue" or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which are not guarantees and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause actual performance and financial results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only at the date of this press release and, except as required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation does not undertake to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise.
* EBITDA is a non-IFRS earnings measure, therefore it does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards and may not be similar to measures presented by other companies. EBITDA represents earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, gain on disposal of property, plant, and equipment, and share based payments. Management uses this measurement to evaluate the operating results of the Company. This measure is also important to management since it is used by the Company's lenders to evaluate the ongoing cash generating capability of the Company and therefore the amounts those lenders are willing to lend to the Company. Investors find EBITDA to be useful information because it provides a measure of the Company's operating performance.
Alkaline Water Co. ($WTER) Projects 10 Million Dollars in Annual Sales Orders.
Alkaline88 Now the Number One Alkaline Water Brand in Southern California
Marketwired The Alkaline Water Company, Inc.
April 9, 2015 9:05 AM
SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwired - Apr 9, 2015) - The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (OTCQB: WTER) (the "Company"), developers of an innovative state of the art proprietary electrolysis beverage process packaged and sold in 500ml, 700ml, 1-liter, 3-liter and 1-gallon sizes under the trade name Alkaline88 are very pleased to advise that existing purchase orders across all markets currently indicate a projected run rate of over $10,000,000 annually.
In related news, and after less than 24 months in Southern California stores, Nielsen reports Alkaline88 is now the number one selling brand in that market. Based on this report, Alkaline88 is also now perceived to be the fastest growing alkaline water brand in Southern California.
The Alkaline Water Company President and CEO Steven Nickolas notes, "I believe the explosive growth we have experienced since January 1st is unmatched by any water company this year. We finished our fiscal year with our strongest quarter ever, and the first week of our new year is also the strongest week documented to-date. We are very excited about the potential for continued growth as we open up new markets and business relationships across the nation."
Additional details of The Alkaline Water Company's business, finances, appointments and agreements can be found as part of the company's continuous public disclosure, and a reporting issuer with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), available at www.sec.gov.
About The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (OTCQB: WTER):
The Alkaline Water Company Inc. has developed an innovative, state of the art, proprietary electrolysis process that produces healthy alkaline water for a balanced lifestyle. The company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing the retail sale of its cost-effective packaged Alkaline88 water beverage products. The Alkaline Water Company Inc. is currently in the midst of a national mass-market expansion program and is available for consumer sales at major retail locations across the United States. Learn more about The Alkaline Water Company Inc. by visiting: www.thealkalinewaterco.com.
About Alkaline88:
Alkaline88 is a premier bottled alkaline drinking water with an 8.8-pH balance. Enhanced with trace minerals and electrolytes, the product offers consumers the unique opportunity to purchase alkaline water in conveniently packaged in 500ml, 700ml, and 1-liter, 3-liter and 1-gallon sizes. Learn more about the science of Alkaline88 at www.alkaline88.com.
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the Company's expectations regarding the development of marketing and sales relations nationally. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with operating as a development stage company, our ability to raise the additional funding we will need to continue to pursue our business and product development plans, changes in the non-alcoholic beverage business environment and retail landscape, the performance of third-parties and our relationship with them, the loss of one or more of our major customers or a decline in demand from one or more of these customers, increase in the cost, disruption of supply or shortage of ingredients, other raw materials or packaging materials, changes in laws and regulations relating to beverage containers and packaging, competition in the industry in which we operate and market conditions. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in the reports and other documents we file with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov.
Contact:
The Alkaline Water Company Inc.
WTER Investor Relations
The Alkaline Water Company Inc.
(480) 656-2423
investors@thealkalinewaterco.com
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