Briefs

Partnership Gives The Alkaline Water Company Significant Distribution Gains

Scottsdale-based The Alkaline Water Company, the creator of Alkaline88TM, has entered into its first major agreement with a Direct Store Distributor (DSD). After eight years of growing the brand in the grocery channel and becoming the No. 1-selling bulk alkaline water in the country, management has chosen to enter into a long-term agreement with local distributor Hensley Beverage Company.

By joining forces with Hensley, one of the largest and most respected family-owned beverage distributors in the nation, The Alkaline Water Company expects broad based distribution of its beverage brands, Alkaline88® and A88 Infused™, across the state of Arizona. Its expansion through Hensley into convenience and other “up-and-down-the-street” retail outlets should eventually double the company’s sales in the state. Hensley will also be servicing The Alkaline Water Company’s grocery clients, and Arizonans can expect to see pallet and endcap displays at many of their local grocers.

As Alkaline88 is now available in more than 70,000 retail locations across the nation, the product has garnered recognition from consumers across the nation. With strong consumer acceptance in grocery, the timing could not have been better for taking this next step in expanding the company’s sales efforts through a partnership with Hensley.

With Cindy Hensley McCain as chairman, Hensley services all of Arizona with a customer base of more than 9,000 retail locations. Hensley Beverage Company is a multi-generational, family-owned, local Arizona beverage wholesaler that distributes a diverse and first-rate portfolio of beverages, including Anheuser-Bush InBev beers, top-selling local and regional craft beers, premium nonalcohol beverages, water, soda, tea, wine and spirits.

The partnership comes as a win-win for both companies. In addition to the projected double to triple sales increase from the distribution through Hensley Beverage Company, The Alkaline Water Company can expect such benefits from the partnership as a new penetration of its flavored waters, its single-serve offerings and its aluminum bottles throughout the State of Arizona and an increased presence of the brand overall in convenience stores.

For Hensley, the company is excited to work with the fastest-growing alkaline water company in the country. In most of Hensley’s new distribution partnerships, it is left picking up the pieces of a company that’s starting at the ground level. The Alkaline Water Company is already an established, well-known beverage brand.

Although there should be significant increased sales with the new distribution, The Alkaline Water Company sees no issues with keeping up with the increase in production. The company’s co-packer in Phoenix, Whitewater Bottling, is well prepared to keep up with the capacity as the increased sales roll in. —Ricky Wright, president and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company (thealkalinewaterco.com) GUIDES & RESOURCES

Find out more in each issue of In Business Magazine as we provide resources and guides that can help businesses get and stay connected to the information they need to build business.

COVID-19

Business Stimulus: With now two phases of the Paycheck Protection Program loans and other Small Business Administration loans and stimulus packages, we include these links for businesses: • Restaurant Revitalization Award Portal: restaurants.sba.gov • PPP Loans: bit.ly/sba-ppp • SBA Stimulus: bit.ly/c19-guide-resources • Get My Check: irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment • Federal Resources for U.S. Small Businesses: covid-sb.org • Vaccine Finder and information: vaccinefinder.org • Testing (Onsite and Mobile): aztestnow.com Vaccine: As vaccines become readily available and businesses begin to go back to the office, we offer these links for more information on where to get vaccinations and who will qualify: • No appointments necessary (but recommended) beginning April 26, 2021. • Registration: podvaccine.azdhs.gov • General Information: azdhs.gov/index.php

SMALL BUSINESS

Assistance and Guidance: Many businesses are looking for information that will improve business through programs to enhance services, resources that can assist in day-to-day business or simply connecting businesses with opportunities. Here are this month’s resources: • Small Business Financial Resources: azcommerce.com/covid-19/financial-resources • Arizona Small Business Association: asba.com • CPLC Women’s Business Center: prestamosloans.org/womens-business-center • Small Business Development Center: maricopa-sbdc.com

IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE

In Business Magazine creates many resources throughout the year. Here are our most recent: • WESTMARC: The West Valley Connected: nbusinessphx.com/department/westmarc • In Business In the Firm Guide: inbusinessphx.com/2021-in-the-firm

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LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy

ACHIEVEMENTS

Fired Pie Is Only AZ Restaurant to Make ‘Hottest’ List

When national publication QSR Magazine announced its annual 40/40 list of America’s hottest startup fast casuals for 2021 earlier this year, locally owned and operated fast-casual pizza concept Fired Pie was the only Arizona-based restaurant on the list.

Restaurants are selected based on the brand’s menu, branding and potential trajectory. In 2013, Fired Pie exploded on the dining scene as the first fast-casual pizza and salad restaurant of its kind in Phoenix. This past year, Fired Pie turned seven, celebrated its 20 Valley locations, and announced the opening of its newest concept, a fast-casual rapid online and carryout location at 19th Avenue and Northern in Phoenix. firedpie.com

Handwrytten Named a ‘Most Innovative Company’

Handwrytten, an online handwritten notes service formed in 2014 to reignite the art of handwritten correspondence by using custom-built and -designed robots, was named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021 in the Robotics category. The list honors the businesses that have not only found a way to be resilient in the past year, but also made an impact on their industries and culture as a whole. handwrytten.com

PHILANTHROPY

PROShred Arizona Event Benefits Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue

PROShred Arizona raised $5,500 for Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue during its recent Shred A Thon charity event in Scottsdale, which allowed Valley residents to securely dispose of a banker’s box of documents in exchange for a $5 to $10-dollar donation. It was PROShred’s sixth charity event for the Labrador rescue. proshred.com

Larry H. Miller Dealerships Deliver Carfuls of Comfort for AZ Foster Children

A caravan of vehicles from nine Larry H. Miller Dealerships locations across Phoenix last month delivered carfuls of donations to Arizona Department of Child Safety’s Welcome Center in Phoenix. Simple items of comfort included new suitcases, blankets, pillows, pajamas and socks collected through employee and public donations during a month-long, statewide “Luggage of Love” campaign, initiated as a way to help the many Arizona children who often have no time to pack basic necessities when they are removed from their homes and taken to safe foster care environments. lhmauto.com

Pita Jungle Spirit in Mexican Ghost Kitchen

Pita Jungle has taken its healthy Mediterranean concept and moved to a new continent with A Su Salud — “to your health” — a Mexican food ghost kitchen. Piloting its concept at its Tempe location, Pita Jungle launched A Su Salud in March, offering delivery through its third-party delivery partners as well as pick-up service.

“Mexican cuisine offers a palette of vibrant and fresh ingredients that overlaps with the fresh ingredients that reside within the Pita Jungle pantry, making it a natural leap for us to interpret authentic Mexican recipes through our healthy-cooking Mediterranean-diet approach,” says Bassel Osmani, one of Pita Jungle’s founders, pointing out that, actually, Pita Jungle has a well-delineated history of interpreting global cuisines, especially Baja and Sonoran delights that have appeared on our Pita Jungle menu through various entrées like Blue Corn Nachos, Medchilada, Pico de Gallo and Chicken Del Sol.

“The ghost kitchen operates as a distinct subunit within the same four walls, benefitting from efficiencies in the preparation of same ingredients, that are culinarily tweaked to satisfy the Mexican food format,” Osmani explains. “As much as possible we use the same prepared fresh ingredients — such as prepped veggies and proteins — to build a high-quality product with a Mexican-food profile.”

A Su Salud asusaludaz.com Pita Jungle pitajungle.com

Design’s New Direction Post-Pandemic

The year 2020 was a tough one for most industries. Phoenix-based Ideation Design Group felt the brunt of the pandemic's crushing losses to restaurants, hospitality brands and the airport industry on a multi-faceted level. Fast forward to 2021, and things are looking up for the renowned design firm that successfully navigated a pivot by expanding into new industries and focusing on pandemicera problems that required creative design solutions. Now, the company is optimistically moving forward with new growth and hiring in an industry that was crushed in the pandemic.

“Like many businesses, our 2020 losses were significant as a result of projects being halted all over the world, especially those with our partners in airport development, foodservice and related industries,” says Carl Schaffer, a partner with Ideation Design Group. “It was challenging, but we evolved by focusing on new industries and providing innovative design solutions for businesses and brands that needed to reconfigure operations for the COVID-19 era.

With a longstanding reputation as one of the leading airport design firms in the US, Ideation Design Group shifted its portfolio from serving the skies to focusing on the open roads.

“One of the most surprising and exciting areas we have expanded our business is reimagining the ‘truck stop’ experience as we become ever more reliant on the supply-chain system that ensures products move efficiently throughout the country and more and more Americans opt for travel by car,” Schaffer says.

Now called ‘Travel Centers,' these aren’t your father’s trucks stops or gas stations. Ideation Design Group has completely reimagined the fill up center experience as bright and inviting with modern designs that feature clean lines, stylish interiors and a variety of popular food and beverage brands in an updated convenience store-meets-food court format serving the needs of American truckers and travelers alike.

Ideation Design Group has also ventured into new areas of interior design requiring more staff with specific expertise. “As we ease into ‘the new normal’ and expand our firm’s capabilities to innovate design for a variety of new companies and industries, we have started ramping up on hiring for design industry professionals that have experience in a variety of industries,” says Deb Sylva, a partner with the firm.

Ideation Design Group ideationdg.com