Arizona Beverage Company facts for kids
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Headquarters in Woodbury, New York
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food & drink |
| Predecessor | Ferolito, Vultaggio & Sons (1971) |
| Founded | May 5, 1992 in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Founders | Don Vultaggio John Ferolito |
| Headquarters | Woodbury, New York, |
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Areas served
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Worldwide, mainly in the United States, Canada and Mexico |
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Key people
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Don Vultaggio (Chairman & President) Rob Marciano (Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing) David Menashi (CEO) |
| Products | Ready-to-drink teas, juices, and coffees, snacks and alcoholic beverages |
| Brands | AriZona Tea, Sunbrew Coffee |
| Parent | Hornell Brewing Co., Inc. (dba Vultaggio & Sons) |
AriZona Beverages USA, often called just AriZona, makes many kinds of drinks. These include iced teas, juice drinks, and energy drinks. The company is based in Woodbury, New York. AriZona started in 1992. It aimed to compete with another drink company called Snapple. Both companies began in New York.
AriZona is famous for its large cans of iced tea. These cans hold about 650 milliliters (22 US fluid ounces). Most AriZona drinks sell for around 99 cents in the United States. In Canada, they cost about $1.29. You can also find their drinks in smaller sizes. These include 590 mL, 470 mL, and 340 mL bottles. They even sell large gallon (3.78 liter) jugs of AriZona tea.
One very popular drink is the "Arnold Palmer blend." This drink mixes iced tea and lemonade. AriZona has been selling this blend since the 1990s. It has become the top seller of this type of drink. In 2010, sales for the Arnold Palmer blend were over $100 million.
AriZona also sells some snack foods. These include "Nachos 'n' Cheese" and "Salsa 'n' Chips." In 2020, they started selling fruit snacks. These come in different flavors, like mixed fruit and Arnold Palmer. The company also has a line of merchandise. This includes items like rollerblades and skateboard wheels.
Contents
History of AriZona Beverages
The story of AriZona Beverages began in 1971. Two friends, John Ferolito and Don Vultaggio, started a business. They distributed drinks in Brooklyn, New York. Their company was very successful at selling beer.
How AriZona Teas Began
In 1990, the friends noticed another company's success. Snapple, also from Long Island, sold bottled juices and teas. Ferolito and Vultaggio decided to create their own similar products. In 1992, they released their first AriZona teas.
Don Vultaggio originally thought of naming the company "Santa Fe." This name came from the adobe-style house he lived in. But he felt it did not look right on the packaging. So, he chose "Arizona" instead. He had never even visited the state of Arizona. In fact, he had not traveled west of the Mississippi River at all.
The Story Behind the Can Designs
Don Vultaggio's son, Spencer, shared how the can designs came to be. His mother, Eileen, inspired the lemon tea can design. This came from her water cooler. Her perfume bottle and Spencer's coloring books inspired the green tea design. A graphic designer named Jean Pettine also helped with the first designs. She later created posters to advertise the new green tea flavor.
The Famous 99-Cent Price Tag
AriZona is well-known for printing a suggested price of 99 cents on its cans. This price has stayed the same for a long time. This is true even though the company's costs have gone up. However, stores can choose to sell the drinks for a different price.
