Jones Soda Co. is a beverage company based in South Lake Union, Seattle, Washington.[1][2] It bottles and distributes soft drinks, non-carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and candy. Jones Soda is a carbonated soft drink that has many unusual flavors that are not offered by other soft drink makers.
Bottles of Jones Soda
Founded by Peter van Stolk in 1986,[3] Jones Soda Co started off as a beverage distributor in western Canada in the late 1980s. As the company grew, they gained significant knowledge of the beverage industry and decided to get into the market with alternative beverages as the Urban Juice & Soda Company. In 2000, the company officially changed its name to Jones Soda and moved from its headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia to Seattle, Washington to improve U.S. sales. Jones products are also sold in the Republic Of Ireland.
Until 1995, the company was a distributor of other beverage lines such as AriZona Iced Tea and Thomas Kemper sodas in western Canada. The Urban Juice and Soda Company changed its name to Jones Soda Co. on August 1, 2000, most likely hoping to benefit from the fact that over 85% of the total revenues came from the Jones Soda brand.
In November 2006, Jones Soda announced that the company would be transitioning to use pure cane sugar (in the form of an inverted syrup) instead of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its products. This is unusual in the carbonated soft drink category compared to other national brands that most often use corn syrup. On January 22, 2007, Jones Pure Cane Soda was launched in 12 ounce cans. By April 2007, all of the company's products switched to cane sugar, except for its energy drinks, which changed that fall.[4]
In March 2010, Jones Soda agreed to allow rival Reed's, Inc. to purchase the company at a steep discount, though later in the month Jones backed out of the deal.[5] The company named former Talking Rain president William Meissner as President and CEO.
Jones Soda Co. ( Jones) develops, produces, markets and distributes a range of beverages, which include Jones Pure Cane Soda, a carbonated soft drink; Jones Refresco De Cana Pura; Jones Jumbletm, its seasonal soda; Jones Zilchtm, its zero calorie offering; Jones 24C, an enhanced water beverage; Jones GABA, a functional tea juice blend, and WhoopAss Energy Drink, a citrus energy drink. The Company sells and distributes its products primarily throughout the United States and Canada through its network of independent distributors.
Jones Pure Cane Soda
The Company sells Jones Soda in 11 flavors. Jones Soda beverage products come in 12-ounce long-neck bottles. The Company has three flavors of Jones Zilch, Black Cherry, Pomegranate and Vanilla Bean.
Jones 24C.
The Jones 24C, a water beverage sweetened with cane sugar contains daily vitamin requirements and is available in five flavors primarily in the Northeast region. 24C is available in 20-ounce polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
Jones GABA
The product, branded Jones GABA and offered in 12-ounce slim cans, is available in flavors, such as Lemon Honey Tea, Fuji Apple, Nectarine and Grapefruit tea and juice blends. Pharma GABA is a naturally produced form of the amino acid and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA).
WhoopAss Energy Drink
WhoopAss is a citrus energy drink in a 16-ounce slim can. It contains riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and thiamin.
The Company competes with Dr. Pepper Snapple, Boylans, Henry Weinhard’s, Thomas Kemper, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Hansen’s, Red Bull and Monster.
With a new name and a new home base, the company began working on a new product extension. In November 2000, work began on developing a new line of products to be marketed as Jones Juice. The development efforts were made public in February 2001, when the company announced that it was preparing to introduce a line of Jones Juice products in April 2001. The product line debuted with two varieties of teas and four varieties of juices that were sold in 20-ounce bottles. Featuring all natural flavors, Jones Juice beverages contained ingredients such as ginseng, royal jelly, kava kava, zinc, and valerian root.
Jones Soda Co.'s reorganization efforts were underway in the spring of 2002. One of the changes implemented involved re-branding the Jones Juice line. The name Jones Juice was dropped and replaced with Jones Naturals (the company stopped producing its original line of Natural Jones in June 2000). The change was part of a comprehensive reorganization of the company's structure that divided its operations along its two separate brands, Jones Soda Co. and WhoopAss. In March 2002, the same month Jones Juice was renamed Jones Naturals, the operation of WhoopAss became the responsibility of a subsidiary named WhoopAss USA Inc.
In 2003, Jones Soda Co. recorded a number of notable accomplishments that pointed to a promising future for the company. It recorded its first annual profit during the year, ending a string of consecutive annual losses. The company also continued to realize success in introducing new products. Jones Soda Co. introduced three new sugar-free products in September 2003--Sugar-Free Black Cherry, Sugar-Free Root Beer, and Sugar-Free Ginger Ale--but the year's most noteworthy product launch was the debut of its Turkey & Gravy Soda in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. The offering sold out online almost immediately after attracting attention from coast to coast. Although the interest generated by the debut of Turkey & Gravy Soda did much for Jones Soda Co.'s visibility, it overshadowed a more meaningful development during 2003, one whose contribution to the company's growth promised a Jones Soda Co. of a much larger scale.
Van Stolk and his small group of executives began looking at a new way to distribute the company's products. They began to negotiate directly with large national retailers to carry the company's products, employing a "direct to retail" strategy. In April 2003, the company secured its first such agreement, signing a three-year deal with Barnes & Noble to carry Jones Naturals in Barnes & Noble Cafes throughout the United States. In June 2003, the company signed another lucrative contract, reaching an agreement with Panera Bread Company to sell six flavors of Jones Soda and three flavors of Jones Naturals in more than 500 of the chain's bakery-cafes. In November 2003, Jones Soda Co. signed an agreement with the 201-store CostPlus chain to carry six flavors of Jones Soda in all of the company's stores.
As Jones Soda Co. entered the mid-2000s, the increasing exposure of the company's beverages promised to deliver substantial growth in the years ahead. In March 2004, the company signed an agreement with Starbucks to carry two flavors of Jones Soda in the all of the chain's U.S. stores. In August 2004, the company completed two big deals, signing agreements with Target Corporation to carry Jones Soda in the chain's 1,275 stores and with Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. to carry seven flavors of Jones Soda in more than 1,000 stores. With these direct-to-retail agreements bringing the flavors of the company closer to a much larger percentage of the population, considerable growth seemed inevitable, particularly given the public's fascination with the concoctions dreamed up by van Stolk and his employees. The company's holiday offering at the end of 2004 did not disappoint those consumers intrigued by the introduction of Turkey & Gravy Soda. At select locations in November 2004, Jones Soda Co. offered a $15.95 six-pack containing Turkey & Gravy Soda, Cranberry Soda, Mashed Potato & Butter Soda, Fruitcake Soda, and Green Bean Casserole Soda.
Principal Subsidiaries: WhoopAss USA Inc.
Principal Competitors: Cadbury Schweppes PLC; The Coca-Cola Company; PepsiCo, Inc.; Hansen Natural Corporation; Pyramid Breweries Inc.
OVERALL
Beta: 0.65
Market Cap (Mil.): $37.75
Shares Outstanding (Mil.): 31.99
Annual Dividend: --
Yield (%): --
FINANCIALS
JSDA.O Industry Sector
P/E (TTM): -- 13.68 26.48
EPS (TTM): 43.52 -- --
ROI: -63.46 6.63 7.98
ROE: -64.20 10.94 12.90
Statistics:
Public Company
Incorporated: 1987 as Urban Hand Limited
Employees: 38
Sales: $20.1 million (2003)
Stock Exchanges: Over the Counter
Ticker Symbol: JSDA
NAIC: 311421 Fruit and Vegetable Canning; 312111 Soft Drink Manufacturing
Key Dates:
1987: Peter van Stolk founds Urban Hand Limited.
1994: Van Stolk begins to develop his own beverage brands.
1996: Jones Soda Co. is launched, debuting in six flavors.
1998: Natural Jones Soda is introduced.
1999: WhoopAss, a citrus drink developed to compete in the energy category of the alternative beverage industry, is introduced.
2000: Van Stolk moves his company from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Seattle, Washington, and renames it Jones Soda Co.
2001: Jones Juice debuts.
2002: Jones Juice is renamed Jones Naturals.
2003: Jones Soda Co. begins to negotiate distribution agreements with national retailers, securing deals with Barnes & Noble, Panera Bread Company, and CostPlus World Markets.
2004: Jones Soda Co. signs an agreement with Starbucks Coffee Company to carry two flavors of soda in all of the chain's U.S. stores.
Name Age Since Current Position
Eiswirth, Richard 42 Independent Chairman of the Board
Meissner, William 44 2011 President, Chief Executive Officer, Director
O'Brien, Michael 44 2008 Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary
Fleming, Michael 62 1997 Independent Director
Kellogg, Matthew 45 2008 Independent Director
Schreter, Susan 49 2008 Independent Director
Brown, Mills 58 2008 Independent Director
Address:
234 9th Avenue North
Seattle, Washington 98109
U.S.A.
Bottles of Jones Soda
Founded by Peter van Stolk in 1986,[3] Jones Soda Co started off as a beverage distributor in western Canada in the late 1980s. As the company grew, they gained significant knowledge of the beverage industry and decided to get into the market with alternative beverages as the Urban Juice & Soda Company. In 2000, the company officially changed its name to Jones Soda and moved from its headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia to Seattle, Washington to improve U.S. sales. Jones products are also sold in the Republic Of Ireland.
Until 1995, the company was a distributor of other beverage lines such as AriZona Iced Tea and Thomas Kemper sodas in western Canada. The Urban Juice and Soda Company changed its name to Jones Soda Co. on August 1, 2000, most likely hoping to benefit from the fact that over 85% of the total revenues came from the Jones Soda brand.
In November 2006, Jones Soda announced that the company would be transitioning to use pure cane sugar (in the form of an inverted syrup) instead of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its products. This is unusual in the carbonated soft drink category compared to other national brands that most often use corn syrup. On January 22, 2007, Jones Pure Cane Soda was launched in 12 ounce cans. By April 2007, all of the company's products switched to cane sugar, except for its energy drinks, which changed that fall.[4]
In March 2010, Jones Soda agreed to allow rival Reed's, Inc. to purchase the company at a steep discount, though later in the month Jones backed out of the deal.[5] The company named former Talking Rain president William Meissner as President and CEO.
Jones Soda Co. ( Jones) develops, produces, markets and distributes a range of beverages, which include Jones Pure Cane Soda, a carbonated soft drink; Jones Refresco De Cana Pura; Jones Jumbletm, its seasonal soda; Jones Zilchtm, its zero calorie offering; Jones 24C, an enhanced water beverage; Jones GABA, a functional tea juice blend, and WhoopAss Energy Drink, a citrus energy drink. The Company sells and distributes its products primarily throughout the United States and Canada through its network of independent distributors.
Jones Pure Cane Soda
The Company sells Jones Soda in 11 flavors. Jones Soda beverage products come in 12-ounce long-neck bottles. The Company has three flavors of Jones Zilch, Black Cherry, Pomegranate and Vanilla Bean.
Jones 24C.
The Jones 24C, a water beverage sweetened with cane sugar contains daily vitamin requirements and is available in five flavors primarily in the Northeast region. 24C is available in 20-ounce polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
Jones GABA
The product, branded Jones GABA and offered in 12-ounce slim cans, is available in flavors, such as Lemon Honey Tea, Fuji Apple, Nectarine and Grapefruit tea and juice blends. Pharma GABA is a naturally produced form of the amino acid and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA).
WhoopAss Energy Drink
WhoopAss is a citrus energy drink in a 16-ounce slim can. It contains riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and thiamin.
The Company competes with Dr. Pepper Snapple, Boylans, Henry Weinhard’s, Thomas Kemper, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Hansen’s, Red Bull and Monster.
With a new name and a new home base, the company began working on a new product extension. In November 2000, work began on developing a new line of products to be marketed as Jones Juice. The development efforts were made public in February 2001, when the company announced that it was preparing to introduce a line of Jones Juice products in April 2001. The product line debuted with two varieties of teas and four varieties of juices that were sold in 20-ounce bottles. Featuring all natural flavors, Jones Juice beverages contained ingredients such as ginseng, royal jelly, kava kava, zinc, and valerian root.
Jones Soda Co.'s reorganization efforts were underway in the spring of 2002. One of the changes implemented involved re-branding the Jones Juice line. The name Jones Juice was dropped and replaced with Jones Naturals (the company stopped producing its original line of Natural Jones in June 2000). The change was part of a comprehensive reorganization of the company's structure that divided its operations along its two separate brands, Jones Soda Co. and WhoopAss. In March 2002, the same month Jones Juice was renamed Jones Naturals, the operation of WhoopAss became the responsibility of a subsidiary named WhoopAss USA Inc.
In 2003, Jones Soda Co. recorded a number of notable accomplishments that pointed to a promising future for the company. It recorded its first annual profit during the year, ending a string of consecutive annual losses. The company also continued to realize success in introducing new products. Jones Soda Co. introduced three new sugar-free products in September 2003--Sugar-Free Black Cherry, Sugar-Free Root Beer, and Sugar-Free Ginger Ale--but the year's most noteworthy product launch was the debut of its Turkey & Gravy Soda in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. The offering sold out online almost immediately after attracting attention from coast to coast. Although the interest generated by the debut of Turkey & Gravy Soda did much for Jones Soda Co.'s visibility, it overshadowed a more meaningful development during 2003, one whose contribution to the company's growth promised a Jones Soda Co. of a much larger scale.
Van Stolk and his small group of executives began looking at a new way to distribute the company's products. They began to negotiate directly with large national retailers to carry the company's products, employing a "direct to retail" strategy. In April 2003, the company secured its first such agreement, signing a three-year deal with Barnes & Noble to carry Jones Naturals in Barnes & Noble Cafes throughout the United States. In June 2003, the company signed another lucrative contract, reaching an agreement with Panera Bread Company to sell six flavors of Jones Soda and three flavors of Jones Naturals in more than 500 of the chain's bakery-cafes. In November 2003, Jones Soda Co. signed an agreement with the 201-store CostPlus chain to carry six flavors of Jones Soda in all of the company's stores.
As Jones Soda Co. entered the mid-2000s, the increasing exposure of the company's beverages promised to deliver substantial growth in the years ahead. In March 2004, the company signed an agreement with Starbucks to carry two flavors of Jones Soda in the all of the chain's U.S. stores. In August 2004, the company completed two big deals, signing agreements with Target Corporation to carry Jones Soda in the chain's 1,275 stores and with Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. to carry seven flavors of Jones Soda in more than 1,000 stores. With these direct-to-retail agreements bringing the flavors of the company closer to a much larger percentage of the population, considerable growth seemed inevitable, particularly given the public's fascination with the concoctions dreamed up by van Stolk and his employees. The company's holiday offering at the end of 2004 did not disappoint those consumers intrigued by the introduction of Turkey & Gravy Soda. At select locations in November 2004, Jones Soda Co. offered a $15.95 six-pack containing Turkey & Gravy Soda, Cranberry Soda, Mashed Potato & Butter Soda, Fruitcake Soda, and Green Bean Casserole Soda.
Principal Subsidiaries: WhoopAss USA Inc.
Principal Competitors: Cadbury Schweppes PLC; The Coca-Cola Company; PepsiCo, Inc.; Hansen Natural Corporation; Pyramid Breweries Inc.
OVERALL
Beta: 0.65
Market Cap (Mil.): $37.75
Shares Outstanding (Mil.): 31.99
Annual Dividend: --
Yield (%): --
FINANCIALS
JSDA.O Industry Sector
P/E (TTM): -- 13.68 26.48
EPS (TTM): 43.52 -- --
ROI: -63.46 6.63 7.98
ROE: -64.20 10.94 12.90
Statistics:
Public Company
Incorporated: 1987 as Urban Hand Limited
Employees: 38
Sales: $20.1 million (2003)
Stock Exchanges: Over the Counter
Ticker Symbol: JSDA
NAIC: 311421 Fruit and Vegetable Canning; 312111 Soft Drink Manufacturing
Key Dates:
1987: Peter van Stolk founds Urban Hand Limited.
1994: Van Stolk begins to develop his own beverage brands.
1996: Jones Soda Co. is launched, debuting in six flavors.
1998: Natural Jones Soda is introduced.
1999: WhoopAss, a citrus drink developed to compete in the energy category of the alternative beverage industry, is introduced.
2000: Van Stolk moves his company from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Seattle, Washington, and renames it Jones Soda Co.
2001: Jones Juice debuts.
2002: Jones Juice is renamed Jones Naturals.
2003: Jones Soda Co. begins to negotiate distribution agreements with national retailers, securing deals with Barnes & Noble, Panera Bread Company, and CostPlus World Markets.
2004: Jones Soda Co. signs an agreement with Starbucks Coffee Company to carry two flavors of soda in all of the chain's U.S. stores.
Name Age Since Current Position
Eiswirth, Richard 42 Independent Chairman of the Board
Meissner, William 44 2011 President, Chief Executive Officer, Director
O'Brien, Michael 44 2008 Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary
Fleming, Michael 62 1997 Independent Director
Kellogg, Matthew 45 2008 Independent Director
Schreter, Susan 49 2008 Independent Director
Brown, Mills 58 2008 Independent Director
Address:
234 9th Avenue North
Seattle, Washington 98109
U.S.A.