Arizona Beverage Company

Arizona Beverages USA (stylized as AriZona) is a producer of many flavors of iced tea, juice cocktails, and energy drinks based in Woodbury, New York.[1] Arizona's first product was made available in 1992, to compete with Snapple, which also originated in New York.

AriZona is known for its "Big Can" drinks holding 22 USfloz of iced teas, juice drinks, and other beverages with markers indicating their intended retail price of US$0.99 in the United States and C$1.50 in Canada.

The "Arnold Palmer blend" of iced tea and lemonade has been commercially available since the 1990s; AriZona has since risen to become the most popular primary distributor of the beverage, with over $100 million in sales in 2010.[2]

History

The company roots trace back to 1971 when friends John Ferolito and Don Vultaggio opened a beverage distribution business, Ferolito, Vultaggio & Sons, in Brooklyn, New York. They used a Volkswagen bus to work delivering reduced-price beer and soda to Brooklyn homes and grocery stores, and eventually acquired a small fleet of trucks. The company later transitioned from distributor to producer of malt liquors, continuing their practice of selling at low prices.[3]

In 1990, they saw the success of Snapple (also a Long-Island-based company founded in the 1970s) bottled juices and teas, and attempted to make their product. To make the beverage stand out, they used bright, pastel packaging in 24 USfloz "Big Can" tin cans.[3] In 1992, they produced the first bottles of their own AriZona teas.[4] Vultaggio said the name was originally Santa Fe, in reference to the adobe-style house he lived in, but he felt it did not look right on the packaging. He went with Arizona even though he had never been to the state and, in fact, had not even traveled west of the Mississippi River.[5] According to Vultaggio's son Spencer, the can designs came from his mother, Eileen,[6] whose water cooler inspired the lemon tea can design and whose perfume bottle, along with Spencer's coloring books, inspired the green tea design.[7] Graphic designer Jean Pettine also worked on the initial designs;[6] she would go on to design posters advertising the initial release of the green tea flavor.[8]

By mid-1993 the four AriZona teas each were available in 7.7- and 16-ounce sizes as well as in the big can, in more than 30 states, although a majority of their sales came from New York, New Jersey, Detroit, and Miami. By the end of 1994, AriZona Iced Tea was being sold in all 50 states, with estimated sales of $300 million a year, compared to an estimated $10 to $20 million in 1992 and an estimated $130 million in 1993. In 1994, the company moved their headquarters from Brooklyn to Woodbury, New York on Long Island.[3]

In 1993, they introduced their 20 USfloz "Tall Boy" bottle. In 1995, they introduced a variety of sodas and root beers. In 1996, they introduced a new beer.[3]

By 1996, the company was losing sales and iced tea market share. In 1997, AriZona began being sold in national retail chains. That same year, they shut down production of their carbonated beverage line.[3]

In 2020, the company introduced a line of fruit snacks in mixed fruit, Arnold Palmer, and green tea varieties.[9]

In 2024, the company opened AriZonaLand at its 70 acres facility in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, offering visitors a "Willy-Wonka-esque" tour of its factory, complete with a gift shop and museum.[10]

Products

They also have a major line of merchandise and drink mixes, including products such as rollerblades, skateboard wheels, bags, accessories, and more.[17][7]

External links