Nation’s Best-selling Coconut Water Strengthens 2008 Sales Expansion with New Director of National Sales

Prior to joining Vita Coco, Goldy served as field development manager for the entire U.S. at Glaceau for six years starting in 2001 and through the brand’s eventual acquisition by the Coca-Cola Company in 2007.

25/01/08 Vita Coco, the original coconut water brand and one of the fastest-growing lifestyle beverages in the nation, announced the hire of Michael Goldstein as director of national sales. Goldstein, known to many in the beverage marketing industry simply as “Goldy,” will be based at the company’s New York headquarters. In the newly created role of director of national sales, Goldy will strengthen existing, and cultivate new, distributor and retailer relationship as Vita Coco brand continues to expand in 2008.

“Goldy has a great reputation in the beverage business,” says Vita Coco co-founder Michael Kirban, referring to Goldy’s six-year stint as field development manager at Glaceau. “The beverage business is a relationship business and its success is based on our connection to our distribution and retail partners, and ultimately the brand’s connection to the consumer. Goldy’s on-the-ground experience and winning personality make him an ideal candidate for this role.”

Prior to joining Vita Coco, Goldy served as field development manager for the entire U.S. at Glaceau for six years starting in 2001 and through the brand’s eventual acquisition by the Coca-Cola Company in 2007. Says Michael “Goldy” Goldstein: “I worked at Glaceau during an important time in the brand’s U.S. growth and I see a similar opportunity here at Vita Coco.”

Goldy continues: “I see a lot of the same signs in New York City and around the country that I saw early on with vitaminwater… the organic street buzz, extremely passionate drinkers of the product, and retailers who can’t get enough. Signs that tell me this brand is going to be huge.”

Kirban, Vita Coco’s co-founder, says: “Goldy has a great track record of motivating sales teams and consumers alike. As more consumers steer toward natural sports drinks like Vita Coco, I can’t think of a finer addition to our sales team.”

The Vita Coco brand’s popularity continued to grow nationally. Earlier this month, Kirban appeared as a guest on CNBC’s “The Big Idea” with Donny Deutsch. Vita Coco also made The Washington Post’s “in” list for 2008.

Vita Coco, all-natural, pure 100% coconut water, has for many consumers become the best alternative to sports drinks and enhanced bottled waters, and is now the market leader in national coconut water sales. One reason: the 11.2 oz. serving size of Vita Coco contains almost 700 mg of potassium and approximately 15 times more electrolytes than the average sports drink in a similar serving size. Vita Coco is the only coconut water on the market that uses 100% natural fruit purees as flavoring.

The Vita Coco brand launched in 2004 and was initially sold only in health food stores. By 2006, the brand broke through into mainstream groceries and was selling in over 3,000 retail doors nationwide. Vita Coco is now sold in over 5,000 retail doors nationwide, including Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Giant Eagle, Target, Ralph’s, Shaw’s, HEB, Albertson’s and Hannaford Supermarkets.