Sqwincher
 | |
| Product type |
Sports drink Sports drink |
|---|---|
| Owner | Cal & Tommy Howard |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1975 |
| Markets | United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand & Costa Rica |
| Website | Sqwincher.com |
The Sqwincher Corporation is an American sports drink company. Founded in 1975, it is headquartered in Columbus, Mississippi.
Founder Mack Howard established the company to challenge the beverage giant Gatorade. After consulting a sports trainer acquaintance, Howard concocted the drink with a higher composition of potassium and a lower composition of sodium than Gatorade. The drink was "formulated to replace mineral salts and replenish fluids and sugars".[1]
Howard sold the company to his sons, Cal and Tommy, the latter of whom serves as the company's president and CEO. Sqwincher was initially billed as a sports drink, and sales faltered in the mid-1980s. After Sqwincher was advertised as a drink for industry workers who frequently work in hot conditions, sales surged. In the 21st century, the company sells its products in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Costa Rica. In 2002, the company had an annual revenue of $10 million.
History
The company was founded by Mack Howard in 1975. Howard was motivated by the belief that Gatorade ought to have an adversary. He crafted the drink based on the advice of a friend, a sports trainer. The friend suggested that he make a drink with a higher composition of potassium and a lower composition of sodium. A sports aficionado, Howard concocted the drink Sqwincher.[1] Mack Howard's sons Cal and Tommy joined the company in 1985 and 1987, respectively. In the middle of the 1990s, the two brothers bought the business from their father. Cal and Tommy own the business. Of the three men, Tommy is the only person who remains employed by the company.[1]
Sqwincher places advertisements in publications such as the periodicals Occupational Hazards and Plant and Safety Maintenance. The company's agents attend about 15 trade fairs yearly to promote its products. Three of the trade fairs are National Safety Show, the Industrial Hygiene Show, and the World of Concrete Show.[1] One of Sqwincher's distributors was Hagemeyer.[2]
In 2002, the company had annual sales of $10 million and was not in debt. In 2002, its drinks come in nine flavors and 13 packet sizes.[1] The company's current CEO and president is Tommy Howard.[1]
Products
Sqwincher is a "scientifically formulated electrolyte replacement drink".[3] In other words, the drink is "formulated to replace mineral salts and replenish fluids and sugars".[1] In the 1980s, Sqwincher was United States Football League's official drink.[1] In 1983, members of the American football team, the New Jersey Generals, drank Sqwincher for their meal before each game. The Generals' trainer, Bob Vann, said, "Sqwincher contains potassium and sodium supplements necessary in hot weather."[4]
Company president Tommy Howard said in a 2002 interview with the Mississippi Business Journal that being the USFL's official drink gave the company "retail exposure". He lamented, however, that it was a "dangerous thing to do unless you have a bottomless pit of money". In the middle of that decade, Sqwincher had little retail success as a sports drink for several years but eventually became successful when billed as a drink for blue-collar workers.[1]
Sqwincher's product Quik Stik is a "small packet of sugar-free, powdered drink mix, about the size of a three-piece package of Sweet Tarts". During the Iraq War, Pat Reardon of beverage distributor Hagemeyer North America began a fundraising campaign to buy Quik Stiks to give to soldiers in Iraq where the temperature is frequently hot. Sqwincher gave Reardon a discount, selling the drink at a cost of $100 per case, each of which contained 1,000 servings. It also paid for the shipping of the drinks to United Service Organizations, which would distribute them to the soldiers.[2]
In the 21st century, Sqwincher products are retailed in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Costa Rica.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Kirkland, Elizabeth (2002-11-11). "Sqwincher a driving force in industrial drink market". Mississippi Business Journal. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
- 1 2 Baran-Unland, Denise M. (August 28, 2005). "Support the troops? They'll drink to that - Joliet man's program: Raising funds to send soldiers powdered mix". The Herald-News. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ↑ Harrison, Mark (2004-07-15). "As temperatures rise, so do the health risks". Times-Journal. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
- ↑ Rogers, Thomas (1983-06-16). "Scouting; Football at 100°". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2012.