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Coming off another yr of top-tier growth with Surfside RTDs, parent co Stateside is ready to take on a bigger roster of brands. It's launching 4.5%-ABV Super Lyte vodka + ade RTDs in 14 states this Mar followed by 10%-ABV Purple Tiger and Red Tiger vodka soda RTDs in 4 states this May, ceo Clement Pappas shared at BBD Summit. Both products are registered with the TTB since mid Dec/early Jan, listed as produced outta Four Birds Distilling Co in Jersey Shore, PA and Prime Beverage Group in Kannapolis, NC. Super Lyte Launching in More "Mature" Surfside Mkts First Super Lyte vodka + ade clocks in at just 4.5% ABV, 90 cals with no carbonation across orange, fruit punch, lemon lime and blue chill flavors. Co's had this concept for "almost 3 years," but hadda "focus on Surfside" to capitalize on the growth there first and foremost. But now that Surfside's "evolved," and "matured at least, in the east and into the Midwest in parts, we feel like we're in a good spot" to bring a new concept to mkt. Super Lyte's "launching in something like fourteen states," but that's "moving around every day," Clem noted, primarily in mkts where Surfside's "matured a little bit more." Co wouldn't take it to mkts like CA that are really "just emerging" and "getting chain distribution" for Surfside this yr.Notably, Clem "had the benefit of watching some others enter" the hard sports drink space and "seeing what works and didn't work," he acknowledged. Originally, Stateside woulda leaned toward PET bottles similar to how New Belgium chose to go to mkt with LightStrike but "saw the challenges" at retail and other upstarts with similar concept going with cans. That's "a lot easier for us" and "definitely the way to go," Clem and co figure. It took "several years coming up with" the name, packaging and liquid, getting it to taste "an awful lot like Gatorade."Purple Tiger and Red Tiger in PA, NJ, DE and LA; $3.99-4.99 per 16oz Single Serve The Tiger brand concept comes in two flavors, Purple Tiger grape vodka soda and Red Tiger apple vodka soda, available in 16oz cans and 4pks across PA, NJ, DE, and LA starting this May. Label has tagline "make it a double," with Tiger imagery and colorful packaging. "We thought the branding was cool," and the 16oz can and 10%-ABV "a little bit unique" and "differentiated, not just copycating other things that were out there." But this is gonna be "on a little more limited scale," since it's primarily a convenience play despite being made with vodka base. Purple Tiger brand fam is expected to tie in nicely with the LSU Tigers during next college football season, he acknowledged. Idea is to price these between $3.99-4.99 max per single-serve 16oz can. But it's "going to differ" a bit by state.Cash Flow Positive, "Struck Gold with Surfside," and "More Bullish" on Oppys Ahead Stateside was started with "very little capital," having "three raises&hellip;essentially all funded from myself and my brother from the proceeds of the family business that we had sold." Total equity that they contributed to the company is about $1.6 mil, "a pretty small amount of capital" in the scheme of things, and "we really just bootstrapped the crap out of it for multiple years and we got it to cash flow positive, and we kind of struck gold with Surfside," Clem detailed. "We're a healthy, profitable company" that's "able to return money to our shareholders," and "we have great banks" with JP Morgan and Wells Fargo as the main ones, plus Farm Credit Bank. Being cash flow positive with "strong margins," Stateside's at a scale where we see an opportunity to continue to be able to leverage that." All in, "we love what we're doing," and "we're seeing a lot of opportunity here." Co's "not interested in going public" and after being approached by various strategic acquirers, "we feel more bullish on the opportunity ahead than I think others do." So "when you're in that mindset, why would you sell?" There're 300 people total across the team, co built out a natl chain team of 15, and "the machine is built to where we can get new products out," and "we have the opportunity to build these new brands." While "we may not bat 1000%, we like our chances." And "I think there are a lot of lanes still open."

Stateside/Surfside Extending the Portfolio: Super Lyte Vodka + Ade in 14 States; Tiger High-ABV Vodka Soda RTDs in 4 States

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