Forget coconut water. Cactus water is the latest hydration craze, and the Arizona company that created it has partnered with one of the largest beverage companies in the world to help take Cactus Water worldwide. Scottsdale-based True Nopal Ventures, LLC, creator of True Nopal Cactus Water (www.truenopal.com) is set for international growth and distribution with a joint venture partnership with Suntory International. Suntory Group is among the world’s leading consumer products companies, offering a uniquely diverse portfolio of beverage products. Suntory bought Beam, the parent company for Jim Beam, in 2014 in a 16 billion dollar acquisition and UK-based Lucozade Ribena in 2013 for 2.1 billion dollars. (www.suntory.com)
The Scottsdale-based brand is the number one selling cactus water in the world and the creator of the cactus water beverage category. Since launching in 2014, True Nopal has disrupted the natural beverage sector and is looking to outpace coconut water, the leading plant-based water in the beverage industry. True Nopal is currently sold in the US, UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Guam in over 9,000 grocery and health food stores including Sprouts, Whole Foods, Costco, Albertson’s, Safeway, Kroger, Fry’s, Waitrose (UK) and many other retailers. The product also retails online and is listed as ‘Amazon’s Choice’ for the category on Amazon.com.
“Growing up in Arizona, I have always been fascinated with our desert environment and the ability of the Nopal cactus to derive and maintain its own food and hydration source in the middle of the driest ecosystem on the planet,” said Tom Zummo, Founder and CEO True Nopal Ventures, LLC. “I was amazed to learn that the Nopal cactus, which is indigenous to Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, has an exceptionally complex plant structure that not only effectively fuels and preserves its own hydration, but also makes its own food by bearing ‘Prickly Pear’, a vitamin-rich ‘superfruit’ that tastes a bit like a strawberry and kiwi hybrid,” he said.
True Nopal believes in providing products that are great tasting and good for you that also support an active and healthy lifestyle. With less than half the calories and sugar as coconut water and packed with electrolytes, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants, True Nopal is a healthier alternative to coconut water and offers a hydration source that competes in a category all its own.
Unlike some of the other plant waters, True Nopal is crafted utilizing a simple ingredient list and has maintained its healthy natural position by adding no unnecessary sugar or sweeteners. True Nopal has been able to take advantage of the rapid growth in the plant water, bottled water, and the natural food/beverage markets and quickly tap into the large market of health-conscious sports drink consumers.
“In Harmony with People and Nature” is the philosophy of the Suntory Group and its subsidiary Suntory International, which has partnered with True Nopal to take the jewel of the Arizona desert global. This joint venture builds on the previous distribution agreement between Lucozade Ribena Suntory (LRS) and True Nopal Cactus Water, which has been in place since 2016.
In the 12 months since LRS and True Nopal signed an exclusive distribution deal for the UK market, LRS has successfully built the business with new rollouts for True Nopal Cactus Water in premium retailers, leading health-food wholesalers and national gym chains.
“Over the last 12 months, I’ve seen my new partner’s passion for the brand, demonstrating that together we are perfectly placed to help us to achieve our goal of having True Nopal Cactus Water in the hands of consumers around the world. This new joint venture is an exciting opportunity for us to achieve our growth ambition in the United States and, as a next step, by expanding our footprint to new international markets,” Zummo said.
Leo Adachi, President and CEO of Suntory International comments, “We’ve seen tremendous potential in True Nopal Cactus Water with phenomenal US growth and a fantastic rate of sale in the UK.”
The company’s corporate offices are located in the Scottsdale Airpark, where it will continue to base operations.
