SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ and CSE: WTER) (the “Company”) is a producer of premium bottled alkaline water, flavor-infused waters, and CBD-infused products sold under the brand names Alkaline88®, A88 Infused™, and A88CBD™, respectively. Today, the Company announces that it has added a new foodservice broker, IBA Foodservice, to present the A88 family of beverage products to the entire hospitality channel.
“We now have two formidable partnerships in DOT Foods and IBA Foodservice to help us gain share in the Hospitality and Foodservice channel,” stated Ricky Wright, President and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company. “IBA is a highly respected professional foodservice sales and marketing organization comprised of thirty successful agencies. With deep, long-term market-by-market relationships, the IBA has stellar local expertise in a well-connected, collaborative, and nationally respected alliance of independent brokers. Between our two partners, we expect DOT Foods to provide access to large national accounts, and IBA to help us penetrate the large regional accounts across the entire hospitality and foodservice ecosystem. These partners give us the scale and scope to drive our growing lifestyle brands in the sizeable on-premise market estimated at over $14 billion by Beverage Marketing Corporation. This segment includes restaurants, hotels, airports, stadiums, hospitals, schools, colleges/universities, parks, golf courses, health and fitness clubs, coffee shops, etc. We expect our single-serves, including A88 Infused flavors, eco-friendly aluminum bottles, and A88CBD infused lemon-lime water to do exceptionally well in the channel.”
The Independent Broker Alliance (IBA)
The IBA is an alliance of 30 independently owned and operated foodservice sales agencies that engage with industry clients at the local, market, regional, and national levels. The IBA approach rests on a foundation of strategic, results-driven commitment to delivering objectives that ultimately produces a portfolio of success. The Team of over 500 professionals with extensive sales, marketing, and merchandising experience is based on integrity, commitment, passion, and performance. The IBA members are known for and proud of their culture of innovation, execution, and entrepreneurialism.
The Alkaline Water Company
Founded in 2012, The Alkaline Water Company (NASDAQ and CSE: WTER) is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Its flagship product, Alkaline88®, is a leading premier alkaline water brand available in bulk and single-serve sizes along with eco-friendly aluminum packaging options. With its innovative, state-of-the-art proprietary electrolysis process, Alkaline88® delivers perfect 8.8 pH balanced alkaline drinking water with trace minerals and electrolytes and boasts our trademarked label ‘Clean Beverage.’ Quickly being recognized as a growing lifestyle brand, Alkaline88® launched A88 Infused™ in 2019 to meet consumer demand for flavor-infused products. A88 Infused™ flavored water is available in six unique all-natural flavors, with new flavors coming soon. Additionally, in 2020, the Company launched A88 Infused Beverage Division Inc., which includes the Company’s CBD water and flavor-infused water. For the Company’s topical and ingestible offerings, A88 Infused Products Inc. includes both the Company’s lab-tested hemp extract salves, balms, lotions, essential oils, and bath salts, along with broad-spectrum hemp, powder packs, oil tinctures, capsules, and gummies.
To purchase A88CBD™ products online, visit us at www.A88CBD.com. To learn more about The Alkaline Water Company, please visit www.thealkalinewaterco.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking statements.” Statements in this news 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 following: the statement relating to the addition of IBA Foodservice to accelerate growth in the hospitality channel; that the Company expects DOT Foods to provide access to large national accounts, and IBA to help the Company penetrate the large regional accounts across the entire hospitality and foodservice ecosystem; and that the Company expects its single-serves, including A88 Infused flavors, eco-friendly aluminum bottles, and A88CBD infused lemon-lime water, to do exceptionally well in the hospitality and foodservice channel.
The material assumptions supporting these forward-looking statements include, among others, that the demand for the Company’s products will continue to significantly grow; that the past production capacity of the Company’s co-packing facilities can be maintained or increased; that there will be increased production capacity through implementation of new production facilities, new co-packers and new technology; that there will be an increase in number of products available for sale to retailers and consumers; that there will be an expansion in geographical areas by national retailers carrying the Company’s products; that there will be an expansion into new national and regional grocery retailers; that there will be an expansion into new e-commerce, home delivery, convenience, and healthy food channels; that there will not be interruptions on production of the Company’s products; that there will not be a recall of products due to unintended contamination or other adverse events relating to the Company’s products; and that the Company will be able to obtain additional capital to meet the Company’s growing demand and satisfy the capital expenditure requirements needed to increase production and support sales activity. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, governmental regulations being implemented regarding the production and sale of alkaline water or any other products, including products containing hemp/CBD; the fact that consumers may not embrace and purchase any of the Company’s CBD-infused products; the fact that the Company may not be permitted by the FDA or other regulatory authority to market or sell any of its CBD-infused products; additional competitors selling alkaline water and enhanced water products in bulk containers reducing the Company’s sales; the fact that the Company does not own or operate any of its production facilities and that co-packers may not renew current agreements and/or not satisfy increased production quotas; the fact that the Company has a limited number of suppliers of its unique bulk bottles; the potential for supply-chain interruption due to factors beyond the Company’s control; the fact that there may be a recall of products due to unintended contamination; the inherent uncertainties associated with operating as an early stage company; changes in customer demand and the fact that consumers may not embrace enhanced water products as expected or at all; the extent to which the Company is successful in gaining new long-term relationships with new retailers and retaining existing relationships with retailers; the Company’s ability to raise the additional funding that it will need to continue to pursue its business, planned capital expansion and sales activity; and competition in the industry in which the Company operates and market conditions. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes 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 and Canada. Although the Company believes that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Readers 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 the Company files with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov, and on the SEDAR, available at www.sedar.com.
