Odwalla

**Company Background**:
– Founded in 1980 in Santa Cruz, California.
– Formerly headquartered in Half Moon Bay, California.
– Product lines include fruit juices, smoothies, soy milk, bottled water, organic beverages, and energy bars.
– Experienced significant growth post-incorporation in 1985.
– Acquired by The Coca-Cola Company in 2001 for $181 million.

**Founding, Growth, and Challenges**:
– Founded by Greg Steltenpohl, Gerry Percy, and Bonnie Bassett in 1980.
– Started by selling fruit juices squeezed in a shed with a secondhand juicer.
– Named Odwalla after a character in a song-poem.
– Incorporated in 1985 after five years of growth.
– Revenue tripled from 1994 to 1995, reaching over $59 million in sales in 1996.
– Faced a decline due to a fatal E. coli outbreak in 1996.
– Adopted flash pasteurization and other sanitization procedures post-outbreak.
– Experienced a 90% reduction in sales following the event.
– Became profitable again in the year following the outbreak.

**Expansion, Product Development, and Recent Developments**:
– Went public in 1993 with around 200 employees and $13 million in revenue.
– Expanded into new markets by acquiring companies in the Pacific Northwest and Colorado.
– Built a new production facility in Dinuba, California in 1994.
– Acquired Fresh Samantha in 2000 to enter East Coast markets.
– Introduced new products like food bars and Future Shake.
– Odwalla was discontinued by Coca-Cola in August 2020.
– Brand was sold to Full Sail IP Partners in 2021.
– Headquarters relocated to the production facility in the early 2020s.
– Odwalla products included PomaGrand pomegranate juice, energy drinks, and Soy Smart drinks.
– Odwalla continued to grow post-acquisition by Coca-Cola, benefitting from the expanded distribution network.

**Production and Products**:
– Odwalla used fresh-sourced produce for its products.
– Organic oats were used for food bars.
– Certain tropical fruits were purchased in frozen purée form.
– Fruit availability was affected by adverse weather and natural disasters.
– Odwalla improved safety measures post E.coli outbreak.
– Odwalla produced fruit and vegetable drinks.
– Dairy-free soy milk was marketed under the Soy Smart name.
– Odwalla had a Superfood smoothie line.
– Odwalla juice was sold in plant-based recyclable HDPE plastic bottles.
– Odwalla’s juice had higher sugar content compared to Coca-Cola.
– Odwalla introduced energy bars made with fruit and grains.
– The first three food bar flavors were Cranberry Citrus, Organic Carrot & Raisin, and Peach Crunch.
– Odwalla bars became top-selling energy bars shortly after release.
– Food bars accounted for less than five percent of Odwalla’s revenue.
– Odwalla bars weighed 2 ounces per bar.

**Market Impact, Media Coverage, and Legal Context**:
– Odwalla catered to the new age drinks trend.
– Odwalla was recognized for its innovative beverages.
– Odwalla’s products met restaurant operators’ juice needs.
– Odwalla contributed to the mainstreaming of new age drinks.
– Odwalla’s closure affected the juice market.
– Odwalla received positive media coverage in the Motley Fool.
– Odwalla’s acquisition by Coca-Cola was widely reported.
– Odwalla’s closure was covered by various news outlets.
– Odwalla’s products were featured in industry publications.
– Odwalla was involved in legal cases like POM Wonderful v. Coca-Cola.
– Odwalla was part of Coca-Cola’s diverse holdings.
– Odwalla was associated with Coca-Cola subsidiaries like Coca-Cola FEMSA.
– Odwalla’s history included partnerships with Columbia Pictures.
– Odwalla’s business decisions were impacted by legal and historical events.