Whichever grocery store you went to in the United States, you probably saw some bottles and varieties of Vitamin Water.
They are everywhere, not just in the United States but also in the world, and they are quite popular.
Vitamin Water is a type of water that has vitamins in it, and it helps you to get your vitamins while drinking normal water.
Most people drink them, especially those working long hours or those that walk a lot during the day.
You might wonder who owns Vitamin Water and who manufactures these bottles. Let’s take a look at its history, who owns it, and the details around it.
Who Owns Vitamin Water?
Vitamin Water’s owner is currently the Coca-Cola Company. They have owned the company since 2007 after an acquisition in which they paid $4.2 billion in cash.
The company was owned by Energy Brands, which does business as Glaceau.
After the acquisition, they became a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company, and they are owned directly by them.
Coca-Cola Company owns many different beverages and food under its brand, and they generated $43 billion in revenue in 2022 collectively as a company.
Since Coca-Cola owns Vitamin Water, this means that it has one single owner, but the owners of Coca-Cola Company own Vitamin Water indirectly.
Here is a breakdown of the owners of the Coca-Cola company.
| Name | Type | No. of Shares | % of Shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Institutional | 400,000,000 | 9.25% |
| The Vanguard Group | Institutional | 368,192,362 | 8.51% |
| BlackRock, Inc. | Institutional | 310,995,318 | 7.19% |
| David B. Weinberg | Individual | 9,384,160 | N/A |
| James Quincey | Individual | 3,591,365 | N/A |
| Brian J. Smith | Individual | 1,570,120 | N/A |
| Alfredo Rivera | Individual | 666,786 | N/A |
| John Murphy | Individual | 1,200,184 | N/A |
Vitamin Water History
Vitamin Water is a mineral water product. The drink was founded in 2000 by Energy Brands, which also does business as Glaceau.
It was initially launched to add vitamins and natural flavours to the main drinks of the company, Smartwater. It focused on adults.
It was designed to fill the gap between water and soft drinks that adds vitamin to normal water.
The drink quickly became one of the most successful products of Energy Brands, putting itself in the top 4 of the company’s drink lineup.
They later on, added more flavors to these drinks, like VitaminWater10 and VitaminWater Zero.
Vitamin Water on Court
Several years after Vitamin Water was founded, an Australian organization brought Vitamin Water to court, claiming that it’s actually not healthy despite what the advertisements say.
At the time of the appeal, Coca-Cola was the brand owner, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest sued them.
UK’s Advertising Standards Authority found VitaminWater to be guilty as it contains a high amount of sugar. This proved that Vitamin Water was not as healthy as it was advertised.
Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation that sells, manufactures, and markets various non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. The company’s most famous drink is Coca-Cola, a carbonated soft drink.
It was founded in 1892 after the American businessman Asa Griggs Candler bought the formula and the brand.
Ever since the company was formed, it grew quickly and started acquiring companies, mostly soft drinks, to enhance its drink portfolio.
The company is worth almost $272.3 billion, with an annual revenue of $43 billion.
Acquisition of Vitamin Water
In 2007, Coca-Cola Company finalized the acquisition agreement with Energy Brands and bought the company for $4.1 billion in cash.
However, the purchase agreement ensured that Energy Brands remained an autonomous branch under the Coca-Cola Company.
This meant that even though Coca-Cola bought 100% of the company, the management stayed independent, and they ran the company on their own.
Energy Brands
J. Darius Bikoff founded Energy Brands in 1996 to combine various vitamins with mineral water.
However, he struggled quite a lot since he didn’t have any experience in beverage manufacturing, but his first drink, Smartwater, got extremely successful.
By using the same method, he started manufacturing Fruitwater in 1998 and VitaminWater in 2000.
In 2007, the Coca-Cola Company made an acquisition offer to buy 100% of the company and bought the company for $4.1 billion.
After the acquisition, the company stayed as an independent organization, continuing its operations on its own.
They later launched their products in new countries and continents. It is still an independent subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company with separate operations.
Conclusion
Vitamin Water is one of the most popular drinks that combine vitamins and mineral water together in one bottle.
It was first founded and manufactured by Energy Brands in 2000 and had a variety of flavors after its extreme success in the market.
The company Energy Brands was bought by the Coca-Cola Company in 2007 for $4.1 billion in cash.
This means that Coca-Cola Company now owns 100% of Energy Brands, thus, Vitamin Water.
However, the Coca-Cola Company is a public company that is actively traded on the stock market. The biggest shareholders of Coca-Cola include Berkshire Hathaway, Vanguard, and BlackRock.
FAQ
Is Vitamin Water owned by one entity?
Yes, Vitamin Water is owned by Coca-Cola, and the company has owned the brand since 2007, and they manufacture and distribute it.
Can anyone own a piece of Vitamin Water?
Technically, you can’t own Vitamin Water because all of its assets belong to the Coca-Cola Company.
However, by buying the Coca-Cola Company’s stock, you can indirectly own Vitamin Water since they run the brand.
Did Vitamin Water change hands in the past?
Yes, Vitamin Water was initially manufactured and distributed by another brand, Energy Brands. Coca-Cola Company bought the brand in 2007.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Brands
Amit Gupta is an experienced expert in digital marketing and co-founder of DrFranchises. With more than 11 years of knowledge in franchise digital marketing, SEO, email marketing, and social media marketing, Amit has helped many brands achieve incredible success online. As a passionate entrepreneur and owner of 7 franchises, he continues to study franchise models, looking at costs, revenue, and profitability to guide brands toward profitable growth. When he’s not working on digital marketing, Amit enjoys spending time playing with his beloved dog.