Long Island Iced Tea Corp. Appoints Julio X. Ponce as VP of Southeast and Latin American Sales

12/12/16

Long Island Iced Tea Corp. (NASDAQ: LTEA), a growth-oriented company focused on the ready-to-drink tea segment in the beverage industry, today announced the appointment of Julio Ponce as Vice President of Southeast and Latin American Sales, effective as of January 1, 2017.

Mr. Ponce will be responsible for developing and overseeing Long Island Iced Tea®'s position in the Southeast of the US and Latin America, as well as growth of its recently acquired ALO Juice® brand in those markets. Mr. Ponce has over 15 years' experience with Latin American based companies, distributors and South Korean manufacturers. Mr. Ponce began the operations of ALO Juice® over six years ago, through which he and his team created a distribution network that serviced chain accounts and independent supermarkets in Florida.

Philip Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, stated, "We have been working diligently to create an international, multi-beverage company; Julio's appointment marks another step towards building an experienced team that will help us grow our business."

"I have been working closely with Phil and his team for the past year, and look forward to continuing our journey together," added Mr. Ponce. "Together we can execute our growth strategies, both in the US and in international markets."

Mr. Ponce has entered in to an employment agreement with the Company effective from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, which provides for performance equity incentives based on the procurement of sales domestically or outside the US and based on net sales of both ALO Juice® and Long Island Iced Tea® that he originates. Thresholds are achieved with cumulative net sales of $2.5-$5.5 million of ALO Juice® and $2.0-$4.0 million of Long Island Iced Tea®. The maximum number of shares of Company common stock issuable to Mr. Ponce is 968,269 shares. The grant of the performance equity incentive to Mr. Ponce was approved by the Company's compensation committee. Mr. Ponce will continue to be based in Miami, Florida.

About Long Island Iced Tea Corp.

Headquartered in Long Island, New York, Long Island Iced Tea Corp. operates in the ready-to-drink tea segment of the beverage industry. The Company has developed non-alcoholic, premium iced tea bottled beverages made with quality ingredients that are offered at an affordable price. The Company is currently organized around its flagship brand Long Island Iced Tea®, a premium, ready-to-drink iced tea sold primarily on the East Coast of the United States through a network of regional chains and distributors. The Company's website is www.longislandicedtea.com.

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