TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--California Manufacturing Technology Consulting® (CMTC) recently engaged with Drinkme Beverages to provide a business coaching program to help with the company’s relaunch.
Drinkme Beverages produces 100% organic, whole-food, cold-blended smoothies. The company was founded in 2007 by Christina Paganalli, who at the time was undergoing radiation treatment for thyroid cancer and taking medication for multiple sclerosis. To ease the side effects of radiation and medications, she dedicated herself to developing raw, whole-food, plant-based nutritional smoothies. Drinkme whole-food smoothies are produced in both Canada and the United States, and are available online and in retail stores in both countries.
In 2014, Drinkme smoothies were sold through retail outlets across the U.S., including Whole Foods. When the company’s co-packer abruptly filed Chapter 11, Drinkme was unable to fulfill purchase orders from larger retailers. Following a challenging five-year period during which Ms. Paganalli stopped production and developed new production and marketing strategies, Drinkme Beverages started a rebuilding process. The company relaunched in 2021 with new U.S. and Canadian websites and production facilities. Ms. Paganalli reached out to CMTC for mentoring and coaching support during the company’s relaunch.
CMTC provided one-to-one coaching and mentoring related to long-term visioning, target marketing, negotiating with manufacturers, and e-commerce strategies. Ms. Paganalli said that weekly virtual meetings with her CMTC coach “helped [her] navigate the waters of bootstrapping” Drinkme Beverages’ redesign.
As a result, Drinkme Beverages projects hiring two to three new employees and increasing sales by $360,000 in the 12 months following their work with CMTC. The company also realized $10,000 in cost savings.
Drinkme Beverages’ CEO Christina Paganalli says of the experience, “Working with a coach and mentor from CMTC is really helpful – it gives me the ability to have a weekly dialogue so I can troubleshoot issues. Even though I don’t need a lot of hand-holding, having an expert mentor is definitely in my comfort zone!”
For more information about CMTC’s business services, contact Rachel Miller at rmiller@cmtc.com or 310-984-0096.
About California Manufacturing Technology Consulting® (CMTC)
Established in 1992, California Manufacturing Technology Consulting® (CMTC) is a private non-profit organization that provides technical assistance, workforce development, and consulting services to small and medium-sized manufacturers throughout the state of California. CMTC operates under a number of cooperative agreements with the Federal and State government, the largest of which is with the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the Department of Commerce for the State of California.
