In a city known for craft and innovation in the food and beverage market, Portland Business Journal’s annual designation of the 100 fastest-growing private companies spotlights companies on the rise.
Of only four beverage brands to make the list, Smith Teamaker was the only omni-channel product in the non-alcoholic space to be included. The company said they showed incredible growth in 2021 – a total of 44 percent, which they say is virtually unprecedented in the tea industry, where an average growth is about two percent.
“Our teamakers here at Smith are fortunate to serve our growing customer base around the world," said Darren Marshall, CEO of Smith Teamaker. “These past few years have been tremendously difficult for so many, so we're especially grateful to be able to enrich lives with our work to provide exceptional tea experiences.”
Smith Teamaker said it has taken what has typically been a "sleepy beverage category" and enlivened it with innovative products and exciting collaborations with chefs and tastemakers. The company noted that it approaches everything a little bit differently – from the look and shape of their product cartons to their GMO-free, plant-based sachets, to transparent sourcing.
In 2021, Smith Teamaker grew its omni-channel product sales, as well as opened a first-of-its-kind tea café, where a chef-driven, plant-based food menu is served, incorporating tea from leaf-to-cup-to-plate.
With all of their product development and production under one roof, Smith Teamaker said it’s able to create and market new products more swiftly than some larger companies. They also partner with other brands that are looking to create a custom tea blend or who may want to utilize their library of flavor in other artisan products – such as ice cream, chocolate, kombucha and more.
In 2021, Smith Teamaker created a tea in partnership with NBA legend Scottie Pippen’s DIGITS bourbon brand, a tea for Top Chef star Gregory Gourdet’s restaurant Kann, and a successful expanded collection of iced teas. 2022 will see collaborations released with Bombay Sapphire, as well as Straightaway Cocktails and Salt & Straw.
To learn more, visit SmithTea.com.
Plan to Attend or Participate in the
World Tea Conference + Expo, March 27-29, 2023
To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 27-29, 2023 in Las Vegas, co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.
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