Sweet Leaf Tea™ Acquires Tradewinds Beverage Co.®

April 5, 2010 - PRLog -- Austin, Texas (April 5, 2010) – Sweet Leaf Tea, an Austin-based company specializing in premium homemade quality organic teas and beverages, is proud to announce the acquisition of Tradewinds Beverage Co. Tradewinds is a leading producer of kettle-brewed iced teas and juices, and is a complementary brand to Sweet Leaf Tea, as it offers all-natural beverages at a great price point.  Together the two brands' combined resources will create expanded market opportunities.
   
Founded in 1993, Tradewinds is a Cincinnati-based company with all its manufacturing done in Ohio, where it will remain operational. The company has a strong presence and distribution in the Midwest, that with this new development, will be enhanced by Sweet Leaf Tea's already established distribution channels across the U.S. Tradewinds Founder Kenneth Lichtendahl will play a key role in this gradual integration of the Tradewinds brand, and all day-to-day operations will continue on as planned.

“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 recently-appointed Sweet Leaf Tea CEO Dan Costello. “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,” said Tradewinds Founder Kenneth Lichtendahl. “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.”

This acquisition came at an opportune time as ready-to-drink tea was the strongest performing beverage category in 2009, according to Beverage Marketing Corporation. “Sweet Leaf Tea is at a good place right now both strategically and financially,” said Sweet Leaf Tea CFO Brian Goldberg. “We are in the unique position of being an emerging brand backed by strong financial partners that can afford to grow both organically and through acquisition, and know that Tradewinds will only make us stronger.”

In addition to Sweet Leaf Tea's 12 delicious flavors, Tradewinds offers a variety of teas and juices ranging from Green Tea With Honey, to their signature Sweet Tea and Tropical Fruit Punch, to name a few. For more information on Tradewinds please visit www.tradewinds-tea.com. For more information on Sweet Leaf Tea, please visit www.sweetleaftea.com.

About Sweet Leaf Tea
Founded in 1998, Sweet Leaf Tea™ is one of the fastest-growing beverage companies in the United States. Made from all-natural ingredients, including purified water, pure cane sugar and high-quality organic tea leaves, Sweet Leaf Tea is made and brewed based on founder Clayton Christopher’s grandmother’s recipe and technique, and is available nationwide. Nestlé Waters North America, the number-one bottled water company in the US, is now a partner with Sweet Leaf Tea. For more information please visit, http://www.sweetleaftea.com