Honest Tea
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Honest Tea is a bottled organic tea company based in Bethesda, Maryland. It was founded in 1998 by Seth Goldman (businessman) and Barry Nalebuff. On February 5, 2008, the Coca-Cola Company announced its purchase of a 40% stake of the company at $43 million.[1]
Honest Tea products started at a local Fresh Fields, now known as Whole Foods Markets. Honest Tea began with its first shipment of 15,000; ten years later the product is being distributed by the tens of thousands. Originally their products were notable for being almost entirely tea with a tiny amount of sugar. Since 2007 they have expanded their sweetened beverage line while distribution of their barely sweetened teas shrank.
In 2002 Honest Tea won seven SPINS awards. Honest Tea received its USDA organic certification in 2004, and was acknowledged as one of the 500 fastest growing private companies.
Honest Tea got an unpaid endorsement when The New York Times revealed that the White House is now stocking Honest Tea, as it is Barack Obama's preferred beverage- specifically, the "Black Forest Berry" and "Green Dragon" flavors.[2]
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[edit] Products
[edit] Honest Tea and Ade 16.9 oz. PET
Mango Green Tea, Pomegranate White Tea with Açai, Honey Green Tea, Lemon Black Tea, Peach White Tea, Cranberry Lemonade, Pomegranate Blue, Orange Mango with Mangosteen, and Limeade.
[edit] Honest Tea 16 oz. Glass
Assam Black, Black Forest Berry. Community Green, Green Dragon, Jasmine Green Energy, Just Black, Just Green, Lori's Lemon, Mango Açai White, Moroccan Mint, Peach Oo-la-long, Pearfect White, Pomegranate Red with Goji Berry, and Sublime Mate.
[edit] Honest Kids 6.75 oz Pouch
Berry Berry Good Lemonade, Goodness Grapeness, and Tropical Tango Punch
[edit] History
[edit] Timeline
1998 Five varieties appear on a local Whole Foods Store (then Fresh Fields). Tea Production moved to Buffalo, NY. And the year ended with sales of $250,000.
1999 New accounts with Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats Markets, Giant Food, Harris Teeter and The Food Emporium. Year ended with sales at $1.1 million.
2000 Honest Tea creates a tea bag line. SPINS announces that Honest Tea is the fastest-growing bottled tea brand in natural food stores. Year ends with $1.9 million in sales.
2001 In this year, 50% of Honest Tea's products are made with only certified organic products. Community Green Tea is introduced in partnership with City Year. Fourth Year sales were $3.2 million.
2002 SPINSawards Honest Tea seven awards, among which Honest Tea is announced to be the best-selling bottled tea brand in the natural foods industry. Seven of the top ten best-selling varieties are Honest Tea products. Year end sales were $4.6 million.
2003 Peach Oo-la-long (Fairtrade certification), Green Dragon, and a new formula of Lori's Lemon are introduced to create a new line of "a tad sweet teas". The two new flavors are the two most successful new beverages launched in the natural foods industry in 2003. Honest Tea ranked #117 on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies. Honest Tea is given the "Dream Big Award" sponsored by Inc. (magazine) and Visa Inc.. At the end of this year the sales were $5.5 million.
2004 In January, Honest Tea gains full USDA organic certification on all products. PET line is introduced, and year end sales were $5.9 million.
2005 White teas are added to the PET and Glass lines: Mango White Tea, Pearfect White Tea, and Vanilla Mint White Tea. Heavenly Honey Green (later renamed Honey Green), and a new Ade line, Cranberry Lemonade and Limeade, are introduced as well. Sales hit $9.6 million.
2006 Pomegranate Blue is added to the Honest Ade line. Just Green Tea and Just Black Tea are added to the Glass line, two unsweetened fairtrade teas. The two additional glass teas are named a Clear Chioce Award winner by Glass Packaging Institute for excellence in packaging[3], and Consumer Reports names Lori's Lemon as number one in its July feature story on bottled teas[4]. This year's sales are $13.5 million.
2007 Honest Tea launches nine new flavors . These new flavors included an addition to the PET Tea line--Pomegranate White Tea with Acai, one addition to the PET Ade line--Orange Mango with Mangosteen, two additions to the Glass line-- Sublime Mate and Pomegranate Red with Goji Berry(Fairtrade). A whole new line for children was introducted as well; Honest Kids was launched with three flavors. Honest Tea partnered with TerraCycle to recycle the used drink pouches of Honest Kids to handbags and pencil pouches. Sales hit $23 million.
2008 In the year of Honest Tea's tenth anniversary, Coca-Cola purchased 40% of Honest Tea. Five new flavors were introduced: Citrus Green Energy Tea, Peach White Tea (Fairtrade), and Lemon Black Tea(Fairtrade) to the PET Tea line; Citrus Spice Decaf and Jasmine Green Energy Tea (Fairtrade) to the Glass line. Honest Tea helped found Bethesda Green, a non-profit in Bethesda, Md.[5] Sales hit $38 million. [6]
[edit] References
- ^ Drink maker finds Coke its cup of tea - Beverage Industry, Body Shop International Plc, Maine - baltimoresun.com
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29whitehouse.html?_r=1&hp
- ^ http://www.gpi.org/learn-about-glass/clear-choice-awards/glass-packaging-institute-anno.html
- ^ http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/beverages/iced-tea/iced-tea-7-06/overview/0607_iced-tea-ov.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=1&searchTerm=honest%20tea
- ^ http://bethesdagreen.org/bgreen/default.aspx
- ^ http://www.honesttea.com/mission/about/story/
