Martin Bauer Group Announces Acquisition of Beverage House Inc.

Martin Bauer Group Announces Acquisition of Beverage House Inc.

Martin Bauer Group is excited to announce the acquisition of Beverage House Inc. in Cartersville Georgia.

“This acquisition brings together Martin Bauer Group’s Expertise in Teas, Extracts and Botanicals and Beverage House’s expertise in the formulation, processing and packaging of premium beverage concentrates in order to expand the scope of our product offerings in the North American Market.” stated Albert Ferstl, Managing Director of the Martin Bauer Group in Germany.

Martin Bauer Group is an international manufacturer and distributor of an extensive range of innovative, natural, botanical ingredients and services to the food and beverage, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Martin Bauer Group is a Business Division of the nature network® which employs over 3,000 people in fifteen countries worldwide and gives clients direct access to one of the most valuable sources of knowledge and expertise within the world of fruits, herbs, and teas.

"We are very excited about the future following the acquisition of Beverage House, Inc. by Martin Bauer Group” commented Jim Gollhofer, President and CEO of Beverage House, Inc., “this represents a significant move forward for us and most especially for our customers. Martin Bauer Group is a family owned international company with a long history as a manufacturer and supplier of tea, extracts and botanical products going back more than 135 years. The core business of Beverage House in liquid tea and other specialty beverage concentrates fits perfectly with Martin Bauer Group's position. Beverage House will now have access to the global resources of Martin Bauer Group in the areas of raw materials sourcing, processing technology and research and development. With BHI part of Martin Bauer Group our customers can be even more confident in our long term commitment to quality, service and innovation".

Beverage House Inc. has pioneered the development and production of authentic tasting tea concentrates since 1984 and today produces a wide range of premium beverage concentrates in a variety of packaging configurations for regional and national brands in food service and retail. Beverage House products are found in virtually every foodservice and retail segment where tea is served. Expertise in product development coupled with a deep knowledge of product application and multiple delivery systems makes Beverage House the ideal partner for any company looking to take advantage of the rapidly expanding concentrate market.

“Having a production base in the US, local product development, and application expertise in liquid as well as dry formats will allow us to incorporate our vast assortment of tea and botanical ingredients into new and innovative beverage concepts for the US customer base” stated Richard Enticott, President & CEO of Martin Bauer Inc, the Group’s US subsidiary.

For further information email/contact:

Richard Enticott: richard.enticott@martin-bauer-group.us

+1201 659 3100

Jim Gollhofer: jgollhofer@beveragehouse.com

+1770 387 0451

___________________________

Riley Richman

Executive Communications

Tea Association of Canada

133 Richmond St.W (suite 602)

Toronto, Ontario

M5H-2L3

(416)510-8647 ext #2

www.tea.ca

Rileyr@tea.ca

Tea companies to merge

Tea companies to merge - http://www.dailycamera.com/business/ci_18100193

Third Street Chai and Cooper Tea to operate under DrinkWorks umbrella
By Alicia Wallace Camera Business Writer
Posted: 05/19/2011 10:44:28 PM MDT

Third Street Chai and Cooper Tea Co., two Boulder County-based makers of concentrated beverages, have agreed to merge operations, company officials announced Thursday.
As a result of the transaction, both companies and their brands will operate independently under the DrinkWorks trade name, officials said. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Officials said the merger is intended to leverage the manufacturing capabilities and distribution reach of both Boulder-based Third Street, a supplier of chai and lemonade concentrates under the Third Street and Pixie Mate brands, and Louisville-based Cooper Tea, which makes iced tea concentrates.

The merger evolved out of a September 2010 joint venture between the two firms under which they launched a line of co-branded iced tea concentrates, said Barry Cooper, founder and chief executive officer of Cooper Tea.

"When we put together that joint marketing venture with the iced tea, it was almost a natural progression," he said. "It sort of emerged and we found ourselves kind of simpatico."

Both specialized in concentrated tea beverages and commitments to organic and sustainable products, but had different distribution areas and specialties, Cooper said. While Cooper distributes primarily to the food service and convenience store channel, Third Street plays in the retail realm, he said.

In addition, Third Street has expertise in the manufacturing and production side, while Cooper`s expertise is in global sourcing and research and development, he said.

"One of the tremendous assets that we bring to the party is a really, really strong (research and development) background," he said, noting his past roles with Celestial Seasonings and Lipton. "We have some really good stuff in the hopper."

Both companies will continue to operate in their respective locales, their employees and their brands, said John Simmons, president and founder of Third Street.

"Where it makes sense to realize synergies, we`ll do so," he said, giving Cooper`s connections to global tea estates as an example. "... For me, personally, it`s a great learning experience to take part in those relationships and essentially to connect our consumers more directly to the tea estates and the farmers we work with around the world."

Third Street, which recently was a recipient of a Local Producer Loan from Whole Foods, has ramped up its production capabilities to meet increasing demand, Simmons said. Further manufacturing, work force and infrastructure investments could be made as a result of the merger, he added.

Simmons and Cooper both said that their work forces could grow as a result of the merger. Third Street has 22 employees and Cooper has 18 employees.

Contact Camera Business Writer Alicia Wallace at 303-473-1332 or wallacea@dailycamera.com.




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