Don’t expect to see blind taste tests comparing several brands of nectarine juice in your local grocery. Any time—and every time—a consumer reaches for a beverage containing the fresh-pressed extract of this seasonal fruit, the name NBI Juiceworks (shorthand for New Beverage Insights Juiceworks, LLLP) will be on the label. And Christopher New, founder and CEO of the Orlando, Fla., USA-based company, is intent on making this exclusive relationship a long-term arrangement.

“We have a patent pending,” he says. “It’s a method-of-use process patent, which will ensure that no one else can take a nectarine and convert it into juice.”

To underscore the importance of this legal protection, New notes that if Anthony T. Rossi, founder of Tropicana Products, had obtained a similar patent in the mid-20th century, the orange juice industry might be significantly different today. Of course, as the former vice president of commercial strategies and services at Tropicana, New possesses an insightful understanding of the beverage market. (He had previously worked at Pepsico, Cadbury Schweppes and Galaxy Nutritional Foods, as well.) Twenty years of industry experience and extensive marketing research taught him not only what products will sell—for example, in 1996 New convinced Tropicana to introduce smoothies—but how and where to sell them. “There’s a real science to understanding consumer behavior,” he says. “You have to know the reasons behind why consumers buy products.”

A “decision tree” determines how people shop, as well as the brands and prices they select. “The decision always begins with flavor,” New notes. 

Recognizing that an unexpected flavor would stand out in the competitive field of niche beverages, nectarines were chosen as the strategic ingredient featured in all of the company’s juice and smoothie products. More than 25 million pounds of this San Joaquin Valley-grown fruit have been processed since NBI Juiceworks was formed in 2005, and nearly half that amount was processed before the first bottle of nectarine juice was sold in September 2006. “There was no way we could compete directly with the giants, so we had to play between the seams and look for a fruit that was unjuiced,” New says. Sweet, succulent and highly nutritional nectarines—with a taste that evokes the feeling of summer—seemed like an ideal choice.

However, the targeted fruit—most commonly eaten fresh—presented an immediate challenge: Coaxing juice from the smooth-skinned cousin of the peach is a difficult and complicated task. “We had to invent the process,” New says. The California Tree Fruit Agreement, which represents more than 1,100 growers of peaches, plums and nectarines, helped NBI Juiceworks in developing the necessary technology and applying for a patent.

The resulting “Pure Pressed” process begins with a gentle, spa-like steam treatment that relaxes each piece of fruit and allows the skin, pit and flesh to be released. “The juice is then decanted to make it less acidic and less viscous,” New explains. Next, a multi-step screening process refines the texture of the juice while preserving its distinctive flavor and color. Cold fill “flash pasteurization” bottling keeps nutrition and taste intact.

New attributes his ability to set these complex procedures in motion to one main factor: “Credibility. I was able to leverage my Tropicana experience to our advantage.” New also spent a year and a half on what he refers to as the “gestalt” of beverage development, which includes identifying unmet consumer needs, setting up a full supply chain from fruit procurement to product delivery, securing proprietary bottle molds, developing packaging and graphic design, implementing public relations initiatives—and more. “A lot of new companies get excited like a puppy on a white rug. All they think about is how quickly they can get their product to market,” says New, who regards the proper alignment of objectives, strategies, tactics and metrics for performance as top priorities. “Our approach was ready, aim, fire. I was bolstered by my belief that this is a really good idea.”

Although a young company, the executive team of NBI Juiceworks embodies more than 150 years of combined experience in the juice and beverage industry. “Intellectual capital is key to everything. Each person was hand-picked, not hired by a recruiter. We are extremely rigorous in our strategies, yet quick, nimble, and flexible in our go-to-market plans and execution,” says New, whose wife and business partner, Alesia—another seasoned marketing professional—serves as the executive vice president. “She’s the CEO at home,” he jokes. Alesia’s heritage qualifies NBI Juiceworks for minority business enterprise status, another advantage for the
company.

Three flavors of nectarine juice, including two blends with other fruits, were initially offered under the Sun Shower brand in 12- and 28-ounce bottles stocked in the chilled produce section. Product lines expanded rapidly and the company currently boasts 45 SKUs ranging from 8-ounce single-serve to 64-ounce bottles. Sun Shower now encompasses six lines of products—100 percent Nectarine Juices, Super Blends, All Natural 100 percent Juice Superfood Smoothies, All Natural Fruit ’N Yogurt Superfood Smoothies, All Natural 100 percent Juice Super Juice and Light ’N Healthy Super Juice Beverages—many of which feature the value-added Lifeguard fortification package of essential vitamins, nutrients, amino acids, electrolytes and herbs.

Beverages in the Super Juice, Fit ’N Lean and Super Blend product lines of the shelf-stable Drenchers brand, unveiled earlier this year, contain a Bodyguard fortification package and are customized with a single-minded benefit, such as Heart Healthy, Immunity, or Endurance. “The consumer doesn’t have to guess. When you pick up a bottle of Revitalize, you know what it will do,” New says.

Although NBI Juicework’s diverse products range from 10-calorie drinks with a nutraceutical benefit to nutritionally-enhanced coffee and chai beverages, New continues to search for healthful products that will satisfy every preference. “We are an innovation engine grounded in consumer wants and needs,” he says. 

VITAL STATS
NBI JUICEWORKS
CEO:  Christopher New
HEADQUARTERS: Orlando, Fla., USA
EMPLOYEES: 9
GOALS: NBI Juiceworks is dedicated to bringing consumers truly innovative, healthy, great tasting products. It provides a fresh approach to lifestyle beverages and is commited to the creation of products characterized by freshness, convenience and uniqueness.

From Beverage World September 15, 2008