Harvest Hill Beverage Company, based in Stamford, CT, has promoted David Champlin to be President of Sales. Mr. Champlin will report to John LeBoutillier, the company’s President and CEO. Harvest Hill is a leading manufacturer and marketer in the U.S. beverage sector through its Juicy Juice®, SunnyD®, Little HUG®, Daily’s Cocktails®, Veryfine®, Fruit2O® and Nutrament® brands.
This promotion recognizes Mr. Champlin’s almost three years at Harvest Hill in which he has been instrumental in the sales growth success the company has achieved during this period. Mr. Champlin has an extensive background in the beverage industry having spent 12 years at Nestlé Waters USA and previously with Mott’s LLP and Veryfine Products, Inc. He will oversee the company’s selling organization, which consists of more than 40 people, and will be responsible for the global sales efforts across all channels.
“I am delighted to have Dave assume the position of President of Sales. Since I joined Harvest Hill, I have been impressed with his seasoned, mature leadership and his knowledge of the business. He leads Sales as a businessman and drives profitable growth, which is difficult in this environment,” said John LeBoutillier.
In addition to Mr. Champlin’s promotion, the company is also promoting Bean Kingsbury to Executive Vice President. Ms. Kingsbury will be responsible for Harvest Hill’s National Accounts. “In the time Bean has been with the company, she has established herself as the consummate sales executive. She has tremendous relationships built over years of trust and competence and we are thrilled with her performance,” said John LeBoutillier.
“I have tremendous confidence in John LeBoutillier and the first-class sales leadership team he has assembled. David Champlin was one of the company’s first employees, has been incredibly effective and is ready to assume leadership. Bean Kingsbury is a dynamic and polished executive and is the perfect leader to direct our strategic national customer relationships, which are critical to the organization,” said Hendrik J. Hartong III, Chairman and CEO of Brynwood Partners, which is Harvest Hill’s majority owner.
About Brynwood Partners:
Founded in 1984 and based in Greenwich, CT, Brynwood Partners is an operationally-focused private equity firm that makes control investments in North American-based lower middle market companies in the consumer sector.
Brynwood Partners currently manages more than $725 million of private equity capital for limited partners, which include U.S. and international pension funds, fund-of-funds, endowments, high net worth family investment offices and financial institutions. For more information on Brynwood Partners, please visit www.brynwoodpartners.com.
About Harvest Hill Beverage Company:
Harvest Hill Beverage Company, based in Stamford, CT, was formed by Brynwood Partners VII L.P. in July 2014 to acquire the iconic Juicy Juice® brand from Nestlé USA, Inc. Juicy Juice® is the largest 100% juice brand in the U.S. focused on the kids segment. The company markets Juicy Juice® products in single-serve and multi-serve formats to the retail and foodservice channels. In March 2015, Harvest Hill acquired American Beverage Corporation (“ABC”) from Wessanen, a publicly-traded food and beverage company based in Holland.
With the ABC acquisition, the company added the Little HUG® juice brand and Daily’s Cocktails® brand. ABC’s brands are distributed to a blue-chip customer base that includes leading grocery retailers, wholesalers, supercenters and foodservice distributors. In October 2016, Harvest Hill acquired Faribault Foods, Inc.’s juice pouch manufacturing facility in Elk River, MN and other selected assets. Most recently, in December 2016, the company acquired the Nutrament® energy drink brand from Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition, Inc.
Brynwood VII acquired Sunny Delight Beverages Co. (“Sunny Delight”) from a private equity fund in February 2016 and, in May 2017, merged the company into its portfolio company, Harvest Hill. The 54-year-old SunnyD® brand is a leading chilled juice drink in the U.S. In addition to the SunnyD® brand, Sunny Delight markets the Fruit2O®, Veryfine®, Big Burst® and Guzzler® beverage brands. The company’s products are widely distributed through leading retailers in the U.S. and Canada.
Harvest Hill, which currently operates seven manufacturing facilities strategically located across the U.S., intends to continue to grow its branded, private label and co-manufacturing businesses both organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions.
