Beverage distributors make money by purchasing beverages at a wholesale price, marking them up and selling them to retailers. Beverage distributors purchase, warehouse and deliver products. They are experts in the logistics of transporting and selling products to the retail store or food service industry. General line distributors provide most of the inventory to grocery stores. The products general line distributors dispense vary greatly, from frozen foods and perishables to dry packaged foods and nonfood items. They often carry products of many large, well-known manufacturers. Specialty distributors supply retailers and foodservice establishments with products for the deli and bakery including dairy, meat, convenience items and beverages. Specialty distributors may offer more services, such as proportioning products into marketable-size packages. For many beverages, selecting the right distributors can be the single biggest decision to make.

Energy Drink Company

Starting an energy drink company is easier than most people think. Contract manufactures eliminate the need for most equipment. The most important thing to consider when developing an energy drink is creating a brand identity. However, before creating a brand, the energy drink company must know the target demographic. It is easier to develop a better beverage that speaks to consumers and can connect with it. The target demographic may dictate everything from the packaging design to the flavor of a product. Understanding the customer is the first step in successful beverage development. Ingredients Due to their ingredients, energy drinks have a variety of physiological and psychological effects, improving mental and cognitive performances as well as increasing alertness, subjectively. The caffeine content of energy drinks is a major selling point to many customers. Generally, energy drinks include methylxanthines, vitamin B and herbs. Other common ingredients are guarana, acai and taurine, plus various forms of ginseng, maltodextrin, carbonated water, inositol, carnitine, creatine, glucuronolactone and ginkgo biloba. Some contain high levels of sugar, while other brands offer artificially sweetened "diet" versions. When choosing a beverage manufacturer it is important to know what type of product processing, packaging and closure the beverage manufacturer offers. Identifying the correct manufacturer that can handle both the processing and the packaging requires significant up front research. Once one identifies a beverage manufacturer that can support the filling processes, packaging and closures requirements for the beverage product, the next important thing to think about is location. It is important to choose a beverage manufacturer that is geographically convenient for the distribution network. Selection of the right beverage distributor can lead to good sales. Beverage distributors are the fastest way to get a beverage on the shelves of major retailers and in many instances, are the only way. Some distributors have great relationships with their retailers and get instant distribution of thousands of accounts, provided the brand offers the necessary marketing support the new beverage. In the dynamic beverage can industry of today, advanced printing technology allows some can manufacturers to print on cans almost as well as they can on paper labels. This has made the aluminum can a more popular choice than ever for beverage manufacturers. Sleek beverage cans are increasingly popular in the industry because they utilize innovative shapes to attract the attention of consumers. The latest production technologies can produce asymmetrical designs, in different sizes and shapes, with fine detail and significant expansion capability. An aluminum beverage can has an internal coating to prevent the contents from coming in direct contact with the aluminum, thereby maintaining the integrity of the beverage.