Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 19, 2022 11 Building Ideas That Work... Building Ideas That Work... Contact us at 860.482.7613 or visit us at BorghesiBuilding.com 2155 East Main Street Torrington, Connecticut 06790 © 2011 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing ™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. Borghesi Building & Engineering Co., Inc. will guide you in defining your project goals, help analyze your prospective property and provide a realistic budget. For more than 80 years, Borghesi Building & Engineering Co., Inc. has provided quality and reliability with design and energy efficient construction. With an attractive design, it presents to your customers a comfortable relaxing environment to help promote sales. You will appreciate the quality your facility presents. 80% of online sales, Metz estimates — has expanded to 12 flavors and includes sodas such as Dog Drool, Bug Barf and Zombie Brain-Juice. "We don't take ourselves too seri- ously," Metz said. "Soda is supposed to be fun. Making it is fun and coming up with silly names and flavors is part of that." Pandemic challenges But not everything has been fun for Avery's over the past few years. The pandemic dried up much of the company's restaurant-related busi- ness in 2020, which drove a 20% to 30% revenue reduction. Between a $20,000 federal Paycheck Protection Program loan and an uptick in individual soda sales, Avery's weathered the turbu- lence and avoided any layoffs of its seven-person staff. But even amid the pandemic, Avery's looked for a unique oppor- tunity to connect with consumers — and offer some fun during a challenging time. In spring 2020, Metz created a limited-time specialty soda — a mixture of lime and orange flavors — called Coronavirus Cocktail. The move reflects a trend that Metz has developed over the years to create specialty drinks tied to current events. Other sodas addressed the New England Patriots' Deflategate contro- versy — Deflate Ball Brew — Trump and Biden-themed sodas during the 2020 presidential election season, and, more recently, Putin's Punch, with a portion of sale proceeds bene- fiting the Ukrainian Red Cross. While independent producers like Avery's — which generates between 700,000 to 800,000 soda bottles per year — are microscopic in size compared to industry giants like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, collectively craft soda makers are carving out a growing niche in the carbonated beverage market. According to openPR's "Global Craft Soda Market Research Report," the overall craft soda market is projected to grow 5.1 % annually from $665 million in 2021 to $946.8 million in 2026. Among the differentiators driving some consumers' shift to craft soda are the higher-quality ingredients, nostalgia associated with sodas produced the old-fashioned way, and the prevalence of glass bottles — instead of plastic — that are more eco-friendly. In addition, unlike the high-fructose corn syrup used in most mass-man- ufactured sodas, Metz said, Avery's — like many independent producers — uses real, natural sugar. "It reminds (older) people about the soda they remember as a kid," Metz said. "And it's helped bring multi-gen- erational visitors (to our facility) with grandparents bringing their kids and grandkids." Expanded production And it's not just online sales, restaurants and smaller grocers across the region generating demand for Avery's product lines. Metz said the company has eight distribution partners that have helped push his company's products into all 48 continental states, often in candy stores looking for authentic, old-fashioned drinks. The company also has a private label side of the business. It makes customer labels not only for commer- cial businesses like restaurants, but also for special occasions like weddings, birthdays and corporate functions. It's created a demand that Metz worries may soon exceed Avery's production capabilities. He said he's in the process of exploring opportuni- ties to build an additional production facility in New Britain that could triple production, while keeping the current Corbin Avenue location — part of the company's and city's history — intact. For now, he has more immediate challenges to address. The carbon- ated beverage industry is facing a global shortage of carbon dioxide, the gas used to give soda its carbonation. Given the increased costs of other raw materials, Avery's implemented a price increase this past April and — if current cost-pressures continue — Metz said he may consider another one in 2023. But amid the holiday season, Metz is keeping those challenges in perspective while ramping up his holi- day-themed supply of Jingle Juice, with a portion of the proceeds helping Toys for Tots. Because the holidays, like soda, should be fun, he said. "We don't take ourselves too seriously. Soda is supposed to be fun. Making it is fun and coming up with silly names and flavors is part of that." — Rob Metz, Owner & General ManaGer, avery's BeveraGes

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