Talking Rain

Talking Rain is a privately held beverage company based in Preston, Washington that manufactures still and sparkling waters. Sparkling Ice accounts for the majority of their business.

Talking Rain
IndustryConsumer packaged goods
Founded1987
Headquarters
Preston, Washington
,
United States
Key people
ProductsTalking Rain Waters, Sparkling Ice
Number of employees
250-500[2]
Websitewww.talkingrain.com
Sparkling Ice Logo

History

Talking Rain was founded in 1987 with two Talking Rain-branded sparkling waters.[3] In 1992, the company began production of Sparkling Ice.[4] They also moved to their current location in Preston, Washington that same year.

In 1997 the company changed their sweetener to sucralose, becoming the first US beverage company to do so.[5]

In 2006 they launched two more products, Twist and ActivWater, which were produced until 2011, when Talking Rain decided to focus their business on the Sparkling Ice; this year, Talking Rain generated $60 million in revenue, up 140% from the year before. In 2013, the beverage represented 95% of the company's sales.[3][4][6]

In 2014, Kevin Durant, the former Oklahoma City Thunder forward, signed an endorsement deal with Sparkling Ice under Roc Nation Sports.[7][8]

In 2014, 2015 and 2016 the company was recognized in the Inc. 5000 list.[9]

In August 2017, Talking Rain signed a distribution agreement with Tata Global Beverages to distribute Himalayan mineral water in the U.S.[10]

In 2018, Talking Rain launched a rebranded bottle label[11] and changed the Sparkling Ice formula to include colors from natural sources.[12]

Kevin Klock was president and CEO of the company from 2010 to 2017; he left abruptly after alleged accusations of sexual harassment by a former Talking Rain employee. The former employee is suing Talking Rain for back pay and emotional distress. The company has not given a reason why Klock left Talking Rain.[13] Later, the matter was resolved, and the case was dismissed.[14][15][11] Marcus Smith was interim CEO until April 2018, when Chris Hall took over the position, and Smith became president of the company.[11]

Sparkling Ice Beverages

In January 2019, company introduced voice skill for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for consumers to check Sparking Ice cocktail and mocktail recipes.[16]

According to Nielsen, as of June 15, 2019 Sparkling Ice have about $500 million in annual retail sales with a 14.9% increase in year-to-date dollar sales.[17]

Products

Talking Rain Beverage Company produces still and sparkling waters for distribution throughout North America, as well as some countries abroad. In October 2018, Talking Rain released a caffeinated version of Sparkling Ice.[18]

References
  1. Avery, Brad (April 10, 2018). "People Moves: Chris Hall Named CEO of Talking Rain". BEVNET.
  2. "Kevin Klock is out as Talking Rain CEO", Puget Sound Business Journal, March, 10, 2017
  3. Strauss, Karsten. "Turning Water Into Cash: The Unlikely Success Of Talking Rain". Forbes. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  4. "Sparkling ICE's big splash revives TalkingRain". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  5. "About Us – Talking Rain". www.talkingrain.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  6. "Ice on Fire | Seattle Business Magazine". seattlebusinessmag.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  7. "KD signs major Roc Nation-negotiated deal". ESPN.com. July 15, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  8. "Kevin Durant signs with Sparkling Ice". ABC7 San Francisco. July 15, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  9. "Talking Rain Beverage Company: Number 2711 on the 2016 Inc. 5000". Inc.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  10. "Talking Rain, Tata Beverages Strike DSD Alliance". Consumer Goods Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  11. "Under New CEO, Talking Rain Charts Path to Growth - BevNET.com". BevNET.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  12. "Flavors & Colors: Opportunities for Clean Labels". Nutraceuticals World. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  13. "CEO of Talking Rain Beverage fired after sexual assault, lawsuit contends", Seattle Times, November 8, 2017
  14. "Order Of Dismissal Page One". Flickr. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  15. "COURT DISMISSAL - PAGE TWO". Flickr. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  16. "Sparkling Ice Adds Amazon, Google Voice Skills". www.mediapost.com. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  17. "When The Bubble's Bursting: Inside LaCroix's Decline". BevNET.com. July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  18. "Sparkling Ice debuts caffeinated line". BevIndustry. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.