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Odwalla

Odwalla Inc.
Wholly owned subsidiary
Industry Consumer products
Founded Santa Cruz, California, United States (1980)
Founder
  • Greg Andrew Steltenpohl
  • Gerry Keith Percy
  • Jeannine Bonstelle (Bonnie) Bassett
Headquarters Half Moon Bay, California, United States
Area served
United States
Key people
Steven M. McCormick, COO and General Manager
James R. Steichen, SVP Finance and CFO
Chris Brandt, Director Brand
Products Drinks, food bars
Revenue US$187.9 million (2007)
Number of employees
900
Parent Minute Maid, a division of the The Coca-Cola Company
Website Odwalla.com

Odwalla Inc. /ˈdwɔːlə/ is an American food product company that sells fruit juice, smoothies and food bars. It was founded in Santa Cruz, California, in 1980 and is headquartered in Half Moon Bay, California.

The company experienced strong growth after its incorporation in 1985, expanding its distribution network from California to most of North America, and went public in 1993. A period of decline occurred as a result of a fatal outbreak of E.coli-H7 in 1996 that was caused by using bruised fruit that had been contaminated. Odwalla originally sold unpasteurized juices, claiming that the process of pasteurization altered the flavor of the juice. Following the E.coli outbreak, Odwalla adopted flash pasteurization and other sanitization procedures. Odwalla recalled its juices and experienced a ninety-percent reduction in sales following the event. The company gradually recovered and the following year became profitable again.

In 2001, Odwalla was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company for US$181 million and became a wholly owned subsidiary.

Odwalla's range of products includes juices, smoothies, soy milk, bottled water, organic beverages, and several types of energy bars, known as "food bars".

Odwalla was founded in Santa Cruz, California, in 1980 by Greg Steltenpohl, Gerry Percy, and Bonnie Bassett. Odwalla's production facility is in Dinuba, California. The trio took the idea of selling fruit juices from a business guidebook, and they began by squeezing orange juice with a secondhand juicer in a shed in Steltenpohl's backyard. They sold their product from the back of a Volkswagen van to local restaurants, employing slogans such as "soil to soul, people to planet and nourishing the body whole".


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