Their debut product, Vital Energy, is being sold in 40 convenience stores, delis, pizzerias and gas stations around Rochester, New York.
Vital Energy is non-carbonated and water-enhanced, with vitamin B, vitamin C, caffeine and taurine.
“Energy drinks are obviously a product that’s growing, but they’ve been able to take the traditional energy drink and take a more forward-thinking view,” said friend Adam Podlesh, an NFL punter for the Jacksonville Jaguars and fellow Pittsford Sutherland graduate.
The idea for Vital Energy was born when Scott Baron – a full-time accountant – found himself working late into the night during tax season and in need of a pick-me-up. He couldn’t find a suitable alternative to coffee or carbonated energy drinks, neither of which he likes. So, in February, despite the bleak economy, Baron, Joseph and Jacob Blish launched Enertia.
“To some extent, it was the bad economy that helped us start it,” said Joseph. “It was really hard for Blish and I to find a job; we felt restless at home, and it gave us that push we needed.”
But the three had no idea where to start. “We had no blueprint,” Blish says. “When we started it, we thought we would just buy some ingredients and come up with it in our kitchens.”
Instead, they hired a beverage formula company to create the drink and flavours. But the entrepreneurs took a hands-on approach to selling their product, pitching it to each retailer that now carries it. And they continue to deliver Vital Energy out of the trunks of their cars.
Call the number on the label of a Vital Energy drink and you’ll get Michael Joseph’s personal cell phone. “If someone calls, we’ll actually give them a free sample, just for taking the time to call,” he said.
Source: Democrat and Chronicle
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