Talking Rain
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CEO [1] | |
| Products | Talking Rain Waters, Sparkling Ice |
|---|---|
Number of employees | 250-500[2] |
| Website | www.talkingrain.com |
Talking Rain is a privately held beverage company based in Preston, Washington that manufactures still and sparkling waters. Sparkling Ice accounts for the majority of their business.
History
Talking Rain was founded in 1987[1] by John Stevens and Pete Hiskin in Bellevue, Washington. The company was bought 6 months later by investors Lawrence Hebner, Donald Kline, and Donald Jasper for $300,000.[3] In 1992, the company began production of Sparkling Ice.[4] They also moved to their current location in Preston, Washington that same year.
In 2014,
In 2014, 2015, and 2016, the company was recognized in the Inc. 5000 list.[7]
In August 2017, Talking Rain signed a distribution agreement with
In 2018, Talking Rain launched a rebranded bottle label and changed the Sparkling Ice formula to include colors from natural sources.[9]
Kevin Klock was president and CEO of the company from 2010 to 2017; he left abruptly after alleged accusations of sexual harassment by a former Talking Rain employee.[10] The company told BevNET the case was dismissed.[9] Marcus Smith was interim CEO until April 2018, when Chris Hall took over the position, and Smith became president of the company.[9]
In 2018, at 34th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, Talking Rain announced a yearlong sponsorship of the NHRA Top Fuel Dragster driven by Leah Pritchett.[11]
In January 2019, company introduced voice skill for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for consumers to check Sparking Ice cocktail and mocktail recipes.[12]
According to
In April 2022, COO Ken Sylvia was promoted to CEO.[14]
Products
In 2006, they launched two more products, Twist and ActivWater, which were produced until 2011, when Talking Rain decided to focus their business on the Sparkling Ice; in 2018, Talking Rain generated $60 million in revenue, up 140% from the year before. In 2013, the beverage represented 95% of the company's sales.[3][4][15]
In October 2018, Talking Rain released a caffeinated version of Sparkling Ice.[16]
In May 2020, the company launched an alkaline water, Talking Rain Essentials Hydration Water in collaboration with Waterboys which was relaunched in 2021 as Talking Rain AQA.[17]
References
- ^ a b "About ยท Talking Rain". Talking Rain. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ "Kevin Klock is out as Talking Rain CEO", Puget Sound Business Journal, March, 10, 2017
- ^ a b Strauss, Karsten. "Turning Water Into Cash: The Unlikely Success Of Talking Rain". Forbes. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ^ a b Garnic, Coral (January 21, 2014). "Sparkling ICE's big splash revives TalkingRain". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ^ "KD signs major Roc Nation-negotiated deal". ESPN.com. July 15, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ^ "Kevin Durant signs with Sparkling Ice". ABC7 San Francisco. July 15, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ^ "Talking Rain Beverage Company: Number 2711 on the 2016 Inc. 5000". Inc.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ^ "Talking Rain, Tata Beverages Strike DSD Alliance". Consumer Goods Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Under New CEO, Talking Rain Charts Path to Growth - BevNET.com". BevNET.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ^ "CEO of Talking Rain Beverage fired after sexual assault, lawsuit contends", Seattle Times, November 8, 2017
- ^ "Sparkling Ice Announces Sponsorship of NHRA Top Fuel Driver Leah Pritchett". BevNET.com. February 26, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ "Sparkling Ice Adds Amazon, Google Voice Skills". www.mediapost.com. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
- ^ "When The Bubble's Bursting: Inside LaCroix's Decline". BevNET.com. July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ "Talking Rain promotes Sylvia to CEO". www.foodbusinessnews.net. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "Ice on Fire | Seattle Business Magazine". seattlebusinessmag.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ^ "Sparkling Ice debuts caffeinated line". BevIndustry. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
- ^ "Talking Rain Essentials Hydration Water". www.bevindustry.com. Retrieved November 26, 2020.