Group on mission to cool sunshine state

Jan 15 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

A BOTTLED water distribution company has revealed plans to enter the lucrative US market by branching out to Florida.

Bottled Water Direct, of Spennymoor, County Durham, was bought by husband and wife team John and Charlene Hale from dehumidifier specialist Ebac last August.

The couple have since established 1,000 corporate and domestic customers, 25% of them outside the North-East.

The business plans to launch a range of complementary “health and wellbeing” food supplements to complement its spring water products to help it grow to a £1m-a-year firm with 5,000 customers by 2010.

Meanwhile, the company has outlined ambitious expansion plans and is gearing up to launch in Florida.

Mr Hale, who has previously worked in the American water cooler industry, is researching the market and expects to begin selling products there by the middle of this year.

He also hopes to open up additional depots in Leeds, Manchester and the West Midlands.

He said: “Ebac started the company two-and-a-half years ago and they had grown the business reasonably well in the first year.

“In the second year they wanted to grow it across the country, but it wasn’t picking up the number of customers they wanted.”

“We are looking at developing the business to deliver to more commercial offices and we are expanding to offer more health and wellbeing food supplement products.

“If we can build the business successfully in the North-East and get better understanding among consumers, then within three years we hope to have up to 5,000 customers.”

Bottled Water Direct sells mineral water bottled at its source in Wiltshire, as well as water coolers.