KALAHEO — KonaRed Corporation’s line of health beverages and powders will now be available in more than 2,100 Walmart stores across the United States.
The Kalaheo-based company manufactures antioxidant juices and organic green teas that are developed from extracts and powders of coffee fruit from Kona. Walmart is now carrying 16 ounce bottles of KonaRed Original.
“Our expansion into Walmart marks a turning point for KonaRed Corporation,” stated KonaRed CEO Shaun Roberts. “We are honored to be able to be on the shelves of Walmart and to introduce the coffee fruit category to their valued customers.”
KonaRed also announced that John Dawe was named chief financial officer. Dawe brings 30 years of executive experience, most recently with DAS Corporate Services where he was responsible for creation and maintenance of accounting and reporting systems for publicly traded companies.
Dawe succeeds Dana Roberts, who will now concentrate full time on her own 10-year-old spa and beauty products company, Malie, Inc.
KonaRed named Bill Van Dyke to the company board of directors. He is the founder and chairman and CEO of B&D Nutritional Ingredients.
“We are excited to have Bill Van Dyke and John Dawe on the KonaRed team, as they will bring more than two decades of financial, sales and marketing expertise to our company,” Roberts said.
KonaRed announced March 10 that the company was designated the official supplier for USA Volleyball Cup 2014. Now in its second-year, the Colorado-based group organized a series of events in July and August that feature the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Volleyball Teams against the best teams from around the world.
“KonaRed’s assortment of healthy fruit juices is a perfect match with the values of our sport,” stated USA Volleyball Secretary General Kerry Klostermann.
As an official supplier to the USA Volleyball Cup, KonaRed will further promote its brand, showcase its product and proactively target the sports industry.
“This opportunity will not only enable us to increase brand visibility, but it will also allow us to gain new customers and market share while enhancing our competitive position in the marketplace,” Roberts said.
This news comes on the heals of a legal settlement with the biotech and ingredient supplier VDF FutureCeuticals, the Momence, Ill-based owner of the patent-protected CoffeeBerry coffee fruit technology. CoffeeBerry has a proprietary set of agricultural and industrial processes and a line of unique ingredients.
Patent litigation had been pending between the companies since 2011, but was resolved in an announcement by Roberts and FutureCeuticals Executive Vice President John Hunter Feb. 4. Terms of the agreements includes a KonaRed and FutureCeuticals partnership.
“This new relationship was forged within the crucible of the lawsuit,” said Roberts. “During productive discussions with FutureCeuticals, it became apparent that there were obvious synergies available to KonaRed if we worked together. The CoffeeBerry coffee fruit IP opens up limitless opportunities for us, and I have no doubt that we’re now a far stronger company than we were before.”
Hunter said KonaRed is a natural match for their ingredient-line and was pleased with the potential emerging from the lawsuit and partnership.
“KonaRed has built a very strong brand concept and shows real promise in the marketplace,” said Hunter. “During our negotiations, Shaun and Dana Roberts impressed us, (and) it became immediately apparent that they are genuine people and terrific marketers.”
KonaRed maintains a corporate office in Kalaheo, with a warehouse and distribution center in San Clemente, Calif. In addition to the executive staff, KonaRed has eight full-time employees and one part-time one.
The Koloa-based Sandwich Isles Trading Company first incorporated in 2008. It became the publicly traded KonaRed Corporation (KRED) in October 2013.
After an initial public offering of 63 cents on Oct. 18, 2013, the stock rose to $1.24 in January, and then fell to 59 cents in February. As of Friday, trading was at 79 cents.
