In its first week under the ownership of Coca-Cola Co., Honest Tea is discussing its plans to grow. The Maryland-based company wants to use Coca-Cola's PlantBottle technology, which uses up to 30 percent plant material, to package organic teas. It also may start making its beverages at additional Coca-Cola facilities in California.
Honest Tea plans to launch a drink called CocoaNova, brewed from cocoa beans, and a zero-calorie organic lemonade sweetened with stevia. New 12-ounce bottles could create opportunities to sell through high school vending machines, where beverage industry standards call for bottles of that size.
"When we add our mission to Coke's resources and capabilities, we can step it up a notch," Honest Tea co-founder Seth Goldman said after talking to employees at Coca-Cola's North Avenue headquarters.
Coca-Cola bought the remaining 60 percent of Honest Tea this week, after purchasing 40 percent in 2008. Goldman will continue to run the company on a day-to-day basis.
"The right model is to have Seth involved," said Deryck van Rensburg, Coca-Cola's president and general manager of Venturing and Emerging Brands.
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