Water is so ubiquitous that most of us hardly think of it. We get it from taps, bottles, and wells, every single day. It’s so common that most people rarely stop to contemplate how essential it is for life.
There is one company that aims to change all that. A company that believes the current state of bottled water is not what it should be, and aims to improve it. The Alkaline Water Company (OTCMKTS:WTER), aspires to disrupt the way water is delivered to consumers around the world.
The company’s mission is a response to two urgent needs: 1, the human need for more balanced, alkaline water, and 2, the environmental need for bulk shipments of products where smaller packaging may have negative environmental consequences.
Currently, bottled water contains few of the healthy minerals that can easily be added to it, making it a much less healthy option than it could be. At the same time, such water products are sold to consumers in small, individual bottles. This is a type of packaging that requires a large amount of plastic, which is an environmentally-unhealthy non-biodegradable material.
Small individual bottles also create a price issue, making bottled water more expensive than it could be.
Alkaline Water Company Aims to Remedy the Situation
The company is pursuing a bold vision in the bottled water market. A totally new, mineral rich, PH-balanced source of alkaline water, available in bulk sizes for environmental benefit.
A pillar of this vision is delivering a healthier source of water to consumers who don’t get adequate minerals from their current supply. In addition, the company offers economical bulk options, such as 3 liter and 1 gallon bottles. These sizes help buyers save money. The company’s objective is to make people healthier, the planet cleaner, and water more affordable overall.
It’s a bold vision, but the company’s management is confident it can change the way water is delivered to the benefit of not only consumers, but also the environment.
A Totally New Approach To Water
When most of us think of water, we think of H20, a simple substance that we all drink every day. But in fact, water is so much more. Water contains traces of vital vitamins and minerals that help keep our bodies strong and our minds sharp. Moreover, the PH level of water may influence its health effects, including its impact on acids in our stomach.
The Alkaline Water Company wants to make water everything it should be. A key goal of the company is to manufacture bottled water that eliminates the issues that have plagued the industry for so long, including high price, low mineral content and low PH.
How Does The Company Hope To Achieve This?
Reinventing water is no small task. The Alkaline Water Company aims to accomplish it mainly by use of a novel manufacturing process.
The company has spent years researching this new process for making and bottling water. It has employed leading researchers and scientists, conducting extensive research and testing to create something unlike any other bottled water out there. The end result is a product called Alkaline88, which is not so much a bottled drink as a total re-thinking of the way water is delivered to consumers.
It all starts with the Electrochemically Activated Water (ECA) system, which increases the PH level, resulting in a highly alkaline H20 product.
The manufacturers then move on to the addition of minerals, which add health benefits while enhancing the flavor of the water. Some drinkers report not liking the flavor of bottled water, or finding it different from the tap water they’re used to. A lack of minerals may be the culprit. By adding minerals to their water, the Alkaline Water Company hopes to create a product that’s healthier and better tasting than current offerings.
The process concludes with bottling. This is where the company aims to maximize its environmental impact and price benefit for consumers, by delivering large (3 liter and 1 gallon) bottles that reduce the amount of plastic per unit of water, and save customers money by letting them buy in bulk.
The Alkaline Water Company has a major interest in environmental sustainability. Environmentally conscious consumers can order economical bulk sizes, letting them transfer the water to standard glasses or other containers. In the meantime, consumers looking for more convenient options, can still order single servings in 500ml and 700ml sizes. The company’s management hopes these options help them penetrate segments of the market that have traditionally been wary of bottled water, such as environmentalists and price-sensitive buyers.
Aggressive Expansion
One way that Alkaline Water is changing the landscape is by pursuing partnerships with other companies, including including Walmart/Sam’s, Target, Rite-Aid, Walgreen’s, CVS, Costco, 7-11, Circle K, and other national retailers. The company’s goal is to get these vendors to stock Alkaline88, so consumers can buy it right in their own city, without having to order online.
And if the company’s growth and revenue numbers are any indication, these partnerships are paying off.
Sales of Alkaline88 have grown over 2,100% in the past 3 years. Based on this number, Alkaline Water Company is the fifth fastest-growing bottled water retailer in the world. In Southern California, the company’s sales are up 92.4%, making it one of the fastest-growing companies in the biggest water-consuming state.
Partnerships with vendors continue to grow, and management expects that Alkaline88 will eventually be available in tens of thousands of retail locations nationwide. Specifically, the company expects to exceed 40,000 locations by end of 2018.
In short? Alkaline water is growing, and shows no signs of slowing down,
As COO Richard Wright stated:
“It is amazing to me that as we move into our fifth full year of operations, we remain one of the fastest-growing beverage companies in the country … As we begin to move from entrepreneurial enterprise into a full-fledged growth company, the sales, finance, supply chain, logistics and manufacturing have all begun to hit their stride. We continue to add stores and new consumers at an amazing rate,”
Mr. Wright added to this by saying: “To support this growth, we have undertaken specific corporate initiatives over the last three months that should accelerate our growth through our next fiscal year.”
Increasing Production Capacity
In addition to pursuing increased relationships with vendors and suppliers, the company is also upping its production capacity to sell more bottles of water where demand already exists.
The company began shipping Alkaline88 from its packing supplier, Virginia based Grand Springs, 14 years ago. The first shipments went to states on the east coast. Since then the company has expanded its operations nationwide. The Grand Springs facility will have the capacity to produce more than $24 million in shipments of the company’s products. The proof is in the pudding. As mentioned, sales of Alkaline88 have grown over 2100% in the last three years, and are still growing.
Summing It Up
Water is something of a paradox. It is at once an absolute necessity for life, and also something that few people think about. Every year, pollution degrades water quality, while most bottled water companies sell expensive alternatives that are harmful to the planet.
The Alkaline Water Company believes it can deliver water the way it should be delivered: cleanly, ethically and inexpensively.
Can the company continue to deliver on its promise to grow and expand, spreading healthier water to consumers worldwide? That remains to be seen.
But one thing is certain:
For consumers, investors and anybody who loves water, The Alkaline Water Company remains one to watch.
