Sweet Leaf Tea, Austin, Texas, acquired Tradewinds Beverage Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, a producer of bottle-brewed iced teas and juices. Sweet Leaf Tea says Tradewinds will complement its all-natural lineup and will create expanded market opportunities.
Tradewinds has strong distribution in the Midwest that will be enhanced by Sweet Leaf Tea’s established U.S. distribution channels, Sweet Leaf Tea said. Tradewinds founder Kenneth Lichtendahl will aid in the brand’s integration with Sweet Leaf, and all day-to-day operations will continue as planned, the company said.
“Tradewinds is a great company with an amazing product, and we are very fortunate to be able to offer them as a complement to Sweet Leaf Tea,” said Dan Costello, Sweet Leaf’s chief executive officer, in a statement. “Acquisition of the company made sense, as we can now provide more consumers with a wider variety of quality teas to choose from, with a broader price range. We intend on making this a gradual integration of the Tradewinds brand, while taking advantage of new distribution synergies.”
"When thinking about the ideal candidate that would take Tradewinds to the next level and cultivate the brand in accordance with our beliefs, Sweet Leaf Tea was a perfect fit," Lichtendahl said, in a statement. "Sweet Leaf Tea puts out a terrific product, and with both companies' capabilities and financial resources, quality iced tea will be more accessible to consumers than ever before."
