Thirteen years after building a company from “nothing to something,” Kick is being honored as one of Shelby Publishing’s 2023 Southwest Women of Influence.

Kick left her career as a high school teacher to learn about the alcohol manufacturing process. Her company opened the next year, selling its signature ready-to-drink cocktails, BuzzBallz. What was once a small, family-owned-and-operated business has since grown to an internationally recognized brand, sold in all 50 states and 24 countries.

Jan Meade with The Shelby Report of the Southwest recently caught up with Kick to get insight on being a female leader in the grocery industry, learning about her brand’s accomplishments and how women can continue to further each other in the business world.

Kick began selling BuzzBallz through Southern Glazer’s Wholesale Distributors and found that it was up to her to get her product on the store shelves.

“It’s been such a wild ride. Growing from 2010, which was our first sale in one state, Texas…and not having one single store to sell to yet, I learned that you had to build it yourself. Even though you have a retailer that’s interested in it, it has to have a distributor. And even though you have a distributor that has your product, you have to go sell it to the retailer,” Kick said.

The brand has come a long way since then. In the past year, BuzzBallz received two Pr%f Awards from Food and Beverage Magazine, two silver medals at this year’s Bartender Spirits Awards and silver and bronze medals in the London Spirits Competition. 

In addition, both BuzzBallz Cocktails and Chillers garnered Hottest Growth Brands Awards from the Beverage Information Group, with BuzzBallz Biggies receiving the same award in the Rising Star category. The company also set a record for itself in 2019 by selling more than one million cases of RTD cocktails in a single year. Projections are 6.5 million cases this year.

Kick’s distillery/winery/brewery comprises 650 employees, boasts seven total brands and is vertically integrated. Southern Champion LLC has moved into distilling bourbon whiskey, gin rum and vodka, as well as rolling out its Uptown Wine Cocktails and agave wine-based Sip Sip Hooray cocktails. The company has 500,000 square feet of space for its production facilities.

“It’s phenomenal, most alcoholic beverage brands don’t manufacture their own product,” Kick said. “And being vertically integrated, we can control that whole supply chain. That’s really important to me.”

Kick believes that creating a successful business requires more than a hands-on role in the product’s supply chain. It’s about relationships.

“I think as a leader, you’ve got to build it yourself. Don’t rely on somebody else and just get mad if they don’t do it. You have to go do it,” she said. “You have to build those relationships along the way. And you have to be benevolent, you have to be good to your people.”

According to Kick, this benevolence is a special set of skills that women possess. Her ability to help care for the people she works with brings the best out of them. She recalled a time during the COVID-19 pandemic when the company turned a conference room into a “makeshift school” for children of employees.

“We called it ‘The Nest’ and we had PCs set up around the room with headphones, and we had a Texas Education and Administration-certified teacher and teacher’s aide that were there to help these kids get logged on to their individual schools, wherever their school was,” she said. “They were able to help them with their homework, give them lunch and make sure that they were well taken care of.”

This past year, the company held a Thanksgiving food giveaway for all of its employees.

“They all have families – you might not even know that these people are hungry or that they need help,” Kick said. “We backed up three Sysco food trucks filled with hams and turkey and boxes of food.”

The remaining food was donated to a local women’s shelter.

The company also holds a Giving Day, where clothes are distributed. In addition, employees receive their birthdays off and Kick personally holds what’s called “Bottom’s Up Lunch” every Wednesday.

“Our employees get to sign up and have lunch with the CEO, and they get to pick whatever lunch they want. We just talk about whatever they want to talk about,” she said.

She hopes to provide a good environment for her employees which, in turn, will provide her with good results. It doesn’t stop at taking care of them, Kick strives to be an effective leader. That includes proper communication and asking for help.

Being in a male-dominated field, the right kind of communication becomes important. Kick said one of the largest challenges in the male field comes from finding connections that otherwise come easily between men. However, communicating openly and directly has gotten her far.

“I don’t play golf. I don’t speak sport. I don’t know who the best basketball team is or things like that. I’m not good at those levels of communication,” she explained. “But what I am clear on is my expectations with my distributor and how to drive my team.

“I think that women and men are a little bit different from each other. Men know how to party, men know how to network, men know how to golf and speak the right language. But women have a special set of skills like being benevolent and caring for their employees, as well as driving and getting the details and the follow up.”

Kick added that networking and communicating your intentions are key for young female professionals.

“Networking is key in this industry. It’s the No. 1 thing,” she said. “Communication is even the way you carry yourself, the way you show up, how you’re dressed. You can have years in the industry, but it doesn’t matter if your message is flat, monotone, unemotional.

“You have to be able to tell a story, show who you are. You have to be able to nonverbally communicate with people…and communication is more than just words – it’s the whole delivery.”

Kick’s second piece of advice for those getting into the industry is to “know your job better than anybody else.”

“You better be the best,” she said. “Once you’re the expert, people will start coming to you. You will be a value to the company that you work for or to the value of the company that you own.”

Her final piece of advice is confidence.

“Build relationships. Some people are introverted, and it’s very difficult for them to be in a big setting with a lot of people they don’t know,” she said. “I just encourage them to go shake a few hands, even if it’s uncomfortable.

“Ask the questions that they need to ask to get to know somebody, and they’ll be surprised what intel they get. I think it’s important to put yourself out there even though it gives you butterflies. It builds your confidence the more you do it.”

For more information about BuzzBallz, visit buzzballz.com.

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Cherkesyan worked for Jon’s Markets for 16 years before starting at Super King. He said he had decided it was time to see what else was out there.

While he had experience in grocery, he said his hobby is liquor. “So that’s how I became a grocery buyer, liquor buyer, mixed nut buyer, bakery buyer. I did everything, and then I started training other people so I could move up and manage.” He now has six buyers on his team.

While all of the departments are important to him, the liquor department at Super King is a bit unique. “We do find items that are very limited in the industry, and not many people could put their hands on them.” This includes several international selections, such as Japanese whiskies and Armenian brandies.

The large and varied selection is a draw itself, but the department sees even more traffic when Super King has a sale on liquor. “When it’s a sale, it’s really a sale…we want to make sure you know it’s on sale. And everybody in the industry is going to know that we’re running the lowest price.”

The company also has an alcohol e-commerce division, shopsk.com, where it offers same day local delivery, ground shipping and pickup. The liquor department is a store within the store, making it seamless for customers and giving them a five-star experience outside of the grocery store.

Cherkesyan said his buying team does a great job across all departments. “We trained them, we picked them. A lot of them got promoted from in store. They move up; the [Fermanian] family cares for their employees.”

According to Cherkesyan, that is one reason he joined the company. From his first day, the family has treated him like family. “I feel like I’m a family member. I’m not related to them, but I feel like they’re family to me.”

Cherkesyan and the Fermanian family share an Armenian heritage. He was born in Armenia while they came from Lebanon. Cherkesyan is married with two daughters, neither of whom is following in his career footsteps. “The grocery business is a very good business, but it’s not for everybody. You need to like the business to get into this.”

For more information, visit superkingmarkets.com/pages/departments-sk.

To view the full anniversary section on Super King Markets presented by The Shelby Report, click here.

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In this role, Giesler will oversee the team calling on retail accounts, such as Kroger, Albertsons Safeway, Walmart, Target and the convenience channel.

Giesler started her career in sales operations at Coca-Cola Enterprises as a district sales manager and then as sales center manager for the Carson, California, facility. She went on to lead customer teams at Coca-Cola Refreshments in foodservice on-premise, convenience retail and retail sales.

She also led the West Supers Regional Retail Business, along with headquarters’ teams, calling on Albertsons and Target while at Coca-Cola North America in the National Retail Sales Organization. Her most recent position was leading commercialization and marketing for Swire Coca-Cola.

Giesler drives performance and growth by strengthening relationships, cultivating confidence and cross-functional collaboration. She deploys analytical resources to sway negotiations, expand operating margins, build distribution, grow organic sales and drive profits. Giesler is also a strong advocate for inclusivity and diversity, encouraging communication and empowerment.

“I am thrilled to join Talking Rain Beverage Company as VP of sales, national accounts,” Giesler said.

“Talking Rain has an impressive track record of innovation, and I’m excited to be a part of the team that will continue to drive growth and success. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to strengthen relationships, build distribution, and grow our organic sales.”

Talking Rain is a Washington-based beverage company that has been an industry leader in the beverage space for 35 years. The company’s portfolio of brands includes Sparkling Ice, Sparkling Ice +Caffeine, Sparkling Ice Superfruit and Talking Rain AQA.

To learn more about Talking Rain, visit talkingrain.com.

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Kernza is a grain grown in a perennial polyculture system, which echos the natural prairie ecosystems and helps to improve soil health, reduce water use and provide habitat for pollinators. Because Kernza’s root system reaches more than 10 feet underground, it is also a sustainable crop as it does not require annual replanting. 

The new limited-edition and sustainable beer will be available at the grocer’s 19 Portland-metro area stores, as well as on-tap at the brewer’s three pubs. 

“At Hopworks, we’ve always been very conscious of the impact that our brewery has on the environment,” said Christian Ettinger, founder.

“No-till Kernza is a real-life carbon farmer, capturing CO2 in its long roots for decades and effectively stalling global warming in the process. Drinking beer that’s ‘rooted’ in regenerative agriculture and doing good is something we can all celebrate.”

The Carbon Farmer Hazy IPA features aromas of peach and guava and flavors of grapefruit zest. At New Seasons Market, this certified organic beer is available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for $14.99 with a $12.99 special running from April 19-25. A portion of all proceeds will benefit Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit working to reduce the environmental impact of food. Zero Foodprint connects eaters and food businesses with farmers to help them implement regenerative practices.

“As a company, we have long been committed to operating with sustainable business practices, and know that we can make an even larger impact when we partner with mission-aligned companies,” said Athena Petty, senior manager of sustainability for New Seasons Market.

“We are thrilled to be sharing this delicious beer in partnership with Hopworks and Zero Foodprint, and are excited to tell the story about how a hazy IPA can be a part of the solution to healing our soil and climate.”

Founded in 2000 by three families and 50 friends, New Seasons Market has about 2,700 employee across 19 stores in Oregon and Washington, serving a mix of locally-sourced and organic items, grocery favorites and chef-made grab and go meal solutions. For more information, visit newseasonsmarket.com. 

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PepsiCo is continuing its diversity, equity and inclusion journey and is in the second year of a five-year, $575 million investment focusing on communities – primarily those that are underserved. 

Kent Montgomery, SVP of industry relations and multicultural development, and Chris Yemma, senior director of industry relations, with PepsiCo, North America recently spoke with The Shelby Report about the company’s journey.

Montgomery was named SVP on Jan. 1. Previously, he had served as VP of industry relations, but PepsiCo’s multicultural function was incorporated into his role. “The multicultural work is in support of our DE&I journey at PepsiCo,” he said.

In addition to DE&I, the company also has seen “a convergence” between what it is looking to do, what retailers are looking to do and the need in the community. Montgomery said sustainability is becoming a key topic, along with social responsibility.

“We’ve had certain things happen in our communities that would suggest new cohorts, like Gen Z, want to know what you stand for…Chris and I are talking about PepsiCo all the time, and we need to make sure that we’re inclusive of what PepsiCo stands for,” he said. “We see the integration being very positive.”

The company’s five-year investment plan includes a list of programs being rolled out into communities. This includes Dig In, a Black restaurant program that provides opportunities for education, grants and sponsorships for restaurateurs. On the Hispanic side, PepsiCo offers Juntos Crecemos, a program for owners of small shops and bodegas who need opportunities, skill sets, access to grants or dollars to support their businesses. 

The PepsiCo Foundation offers grants to junior college candidates, people looking to get two- and four-year degrees, by helping them “fulfill that dream of advancement,” Montgomery said. “All of these roll up to investments we’re giving back into the marketplace.”

Yemma added that the company’s initiatives also go down to brand level.

“Individual brands are part of the whole racial equality journey, and you’re starting to see that programming come to life with things like Doritos Solid Black, which is lifting up Black changemakers and culture makers around the country,” Yemma said.

Cheetos’ Deja tu Huella campaign, which launched last year, translates to “leave your mark,” Yemma said.

It celebrates those in the Latin community “who have left their mark in American culture and helped kind of shape American culture to this day. So it’s on a corporate level, it’s multiple angles, which I think is awesome,” he said.  

“Consumers know us by our brands as well, and so if we’re able to unlock the power of iconic brands like a Mountain Dew or a Cheetos, then that’s just going to raise more awareness about our overall racial equality journey.”

PepsiCo also is looking at ways to be “healthful,” Montgomery said. In 2022, the company reported 10 percent organic revenue growth, led by Frito Lay in North America. The zero-sugar category was up 26 percent. PepsiCo customers are looking for health-conscious products that they truly enjoy. “Innovation has been strong, and I think that’s really fueled our company.”

Montgomery noted that PepsiCo’s supply chain has “come back significantly,” which has given the company the opportunity to bring back innovation. He mentioned Frito Lay Minis – chips in mini canisters – as innovation from the company’s portfolio. It also is seeing strong sales in variety pack innovations, as shoppers have an eye on value.

“I think that’s a sign that maybe the consumer still may be a little wary but is still trying to find the right balance,” he said.

‘Better’ strategy

Montgomery said PepsiCo has adopted a “Better” strategy – faster, stronger, better. “Faster is more thinking about our innovation, stronger is about our capabilities and better is about how we leave the planet.”

While they use the “Better” strategy internally, the company’s PepsiCo (Pep) Positive sustainability initiative is something they talk about externally.

“Pep Positive is that sustainability starts to fit,” he said. “It’s really our kind of end-to-end transformation, that we’re talking about sustainability from the beginning to the end. From our agriculture and how we work with farmers, to the package and design and what we ultimately put on a shelf. And everything in between is part of that end-to-end work that we’re doing around sustainability. So it is front and center.”

Yemma added that “faster, stronger, better” is the vision that PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta laid out a couple of years ago. “But if you talk about sustainability, you might argue that is at the top of his list with PepsiCo Positive…it’s about really future proofing our business.”

He said that Gen Z is going to be the most diverse generation in history. “They care about more than just your product itself. You need to stand for something.”

Yemma said two things that stood out in research with Gen Z is climate/climate change and diversity and inclusion. Those are two pillars within Pep Positive. 

“It’s people and planet that we’re focused on,” he said. “Pep Positive is kind of an overarching umbrella of how PepsiCo approaches better initiatives. It starts with people, which is multicultural…and then there’s sustainability on the other side. That is a huge priority for our organization.”

Montgomery added that PepsiCo is continuing to work with its retailers to help them understand omnichannel in a better way. It also wants to use its proprietary data set, PepBiz, to work as a consultant to retailers to help them build traffic and shopping solutions for their customers. “We believe that the data is the way to get at that.”

He said there is a real focus on Gen Z, with a significant number of products leaning toward that generation. One example is Starry, a new lemon-lime carbonated soft drink PepsiCo recently launched with good response.

Montgomery said upcoming trends include more better-for-you options. Pop Corners is one example, and he added that spicy options also are trending, along with the energy drink category. Protein, in both snacks and beverages, is another growing trend. Yemma added that the zero-sugar trend is “huge.”

For more beverage news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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In addition to the corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, the new office space in Tampa supports the company’s operational strategy of innovation and sustainability.

This development is a testament of the Coca-Cola System’s commitment to U.S.-based shared service operations. The newest CCBSS office is an upgrade from its previous location for its Florida-based employees.

“To better support our ways of working together in CCBSS, we opened a location that allows greater opportunity for a collaborative interdisciplinary team approach via an open office construct,” said Brandi Shortt, president and CEO.

“The decision to move our presence in Tampa was an important step in our business strategy.”

The new Coca-Cola Tampa office is located on the I-75 corridor and is surrounded by a number of amenities for the company employees.

Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales & Services Company is a limited liability company owned by nearly 70 independent Coca-Cola bottlers in North America. The company supports operations for its bottler owners as well as bottler-owned production cooperatives, Coca-Cola North America Operating Unit (NAOU) and other participating beverage partners across the Coca-Cola System.

For more information, visit ccbss.com.

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The new ice micro-factory was unveiled at the grocer’s Jacksonville Distribution Center, where a ribbon made of 200 pounds of ice was cut with a chainsaw by Southeastern Grocers and Relocalize leadership to celebrate the achievement.

This first micro-factory is managed by an AI-powered software platform that utilizes robotics for all production labor. This process allows the grocer to scale production and create waste-reduction solutions throughout the full lifecycle of the product at a lower economic and environmental cost.

Through this partnership, Southeastern Grocers has also introduced Party Cubes, a certified plastic-negative, packaged ice that is produced on-site and on-demand at the facility. This product is available at two Jacksonville locations, including the Lakewood Winn-Dixie store and the grocer’s stand-alone liquor store, WD’s Wine, Beer and Liquor in the Miramar neighborhood, with considerations to expand to the broader market in the future.

“Our partnership with Relocalize meets at the intersection of sustainability and innovation and provides a unique opportunity to offer our customers better ice, in a better package, at a better price – that’s also better for the planet,” said Anthony Hucker, president and CEO.

“We plan to pilot ice manufacturing in the world’s first autonomous ice micro-factory in our hometown of Jacksonville, and we are excited to now offer Party Cubes in select local stores as we test and learn with the industry’s first hyper-local, certified plastic-negative, packaged ice. We believe it’s our responsibility to be leaders of change, and we continue to push forward for a brighter future for our people, products and planet.”

Party Cubes reportedly store easier and cost less for consumers compared to traditional bagged ice, and the smaller, leak-proof packaging is 100 percent recycle-ready. For every one pound of plastic used in packaging, Relocalize will remove and recycle two pounds of ocean plastic. Additionally, the process produces zero water waste and reduces trucking carbon dioxide emissions by 90 percent.

“Two years ago, we set out on a mission to decarbonize food supply chains,” said Wayne McIntyre, CEO and co-founder for Relocalize.

“Today, fully autonomous hyper-local food manufacturing becomes a reality through our partnership with Southeastern Grocers. This premier packaged ice micro-factory represents a fundamental shift in how packaged food is produced and distributed, ushering in the era of the one-step food journey from production to consumption.

For more information, visit segrocers.com/aboutus.

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Under ShopRite’s private label brand Bowl & Basket, NuZee packed and shipped three single serve coffee brew-bag items: Breakfast Blend, French Roast and Colombian. The Bowl & Basket single-serve coffees launched recently in about 250 ShopRite locations.

“Wakefern is excited to work with NuZee to bring sustainably-packaged, quality products to its Own Brands line of Bowl & Basket single-serve coffees. We look forward to working with NuZee to expand and enhance packaging for our popular private label coffees,” said Pam Ofri, Wakefern’s director of product development and operations, Own Brands.

Founded in 1946, Wakefern has been supporting family-owned businesses for more than 75 years and has hundreds of stores throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

“We are grateful to our private label customers for making our products available at a larger scale and to Wakefern for expanding single-serve coffee availability through the largest retailer-owned supermarket cooperative in America,” said Travis Gorney, NuZee’s chief innovation officer.

NuZee Inc. is a co-packing company for single serve coffee formats that partners with companies to help them develop within the single serve and private label coffee category. Through the brand’s unique process, NuZee fulfills every aspect of co-packing needs, from roasting and blending, to packing and packaging.

To learn more about NuZee and its innovative initiatives, visit mynuzee.com.

For more beverage news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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The new zero sugar reformulation offers the latest sweetener formula that includes monk fruit and stevia, in addition to added vitamins and nutrients. The products are available nationwide at mass retailers, grocery stores and convenience stores.

According to the company, the new flavors “serve as an extension of vitaminwater’s promise to ‘nourish every you.’ Inspired by the notion that multiple sides of ‘you’ have needs, vitaminwater encourages individuals to nourish each and every one. Whether your body, your emotions, or your complexities, vitaminwater has something in its suite of products to celebrate your multifaceted self.”

Joining vitaminwater’s zero-sugar rainbow of flavors, the two new flavors are:

• ‘with love’ is infused with raspberry and dark chocolate for a unique taste. The nutrient-enhanced water beverage features a boost of magnesium (85mg) to help support heart health and 100 percent antioxidant vitamin C alongside vitamin A (25 percent) and vitamin E (30 percent).
• ‘forever you’ contains tropical coconut lime flavors with white curcumin (18mg) alongside 100 percent antioxidant vitamin C, vitamin A (25 percent) and vitamin E (30 percent). Both drinks are a source of vitamin b3, vitamin b5, vitamin b6 and vitamin b12.

“By leveraging extensive consumer and beverage technology data, we were able to reinvent the zero-sugar lineup with an innovative new formula and add two delicious new flavors to the line-up so people can nourish even more sides of themselves,” said Tiphanie Maronta, group director, innovation, vitaminwater.

The new innovations come on the heels of a marketing campaign that was launched in the summer of 2022 featuring Lil Nas X. This year will feature consumer engagement touch points, as well as creative content in partnership with Lil Nas X to evolve their partnership.

For more information about vitaminwater, visit vitaminwater.com.

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The investment will support its long-term growth strategy and will deliver benefits across the U.S. business, including advancing operational excellence, enabling flexibility in bottle design, accelerating the company’s sustainability goals and driving cost efficiencies.

“We are delighted to announce this investment in our North American business, which will allow us to capitalize on consumer demand in key beverage categories including coffee creamers, plant-based creamers and ready-to-drink coffee, while also supporting our long-term growth agenda,” said Shane Grant, group deputy CEO, Americas.

“This investment will help us keep our products on our customers’ shelves and give more American consumers the Danone products they love.”

This multi-million-dollar investment will increase production of several of Danone’s coffee and creamer brands in the U.S., including International Delight, Silk and SToK. It also will help meet consumer demand in these categories while supporting its sustainability goal by reducing water consumption, decreasing carbon emissions and accelerating the company’s goal of packaging circularity.

The expansion will also create up to 40 new full-time jobs with competitive wages and benefits. New employees will also be eligible for Danone North America’s parental bonding leave policy, giving employees with one year of tenure the ability to take up to 18 weeks of paid time off after the birth or adoption of a child.

“We are thrilled to be investing in the people and economy of Jacksonville, creating 40 new jobs in addition to supporting our approximately 110 existing employees, all with competitive wages and benefits,” said Mike Sloboda, Danone North America’s COO.

“This investment will allow us to better serve our customers and operate our business in an even more efficient and sustainable way.”

As a B Corp, Danone North America uses its business to build an inclusive and sustainable economy through its family of brands.

For more information, visit danonenorthamerica.com.

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