AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Affinity Beverage Group, Inc. (aka Strategic Rare Earth Metals) (OTC Pink: SREH) (the Company), announced today that Janon Costley, CEO of Affinity Beverage Group/Village Tea Company Distribution, Inc, has provided the following update on corporate highlights for 2015 and an overview of the goals for the Company in 2016.
2015 Highlights
In August of 2015 Mr. Costley assumed the role of CEO of Strategic Rare Earth Metals and immediately decided to move the company in a completely new direction from his predecessors. With a goal of focusing on health and wellness, the process began to transform Strategic Rare Earth Metals into Affinity Beverage Group which now serves as a platform to acquire and launch lifestyle brands and consumer products companies (primarily focused on organic and natural food, beverage and personal care) in the $3.4 trillion health and wellness sector.
In October of 2015 the Company announced the formation of an advisory board to assist management in developing the Company's new platform as well as identifying potential opportunities to create long term value for the Company's shareholders. The first confirmed advisory board member is Martin Ekechukwu. Mr. Ekechukwu is a former senior brand manager at Dr. Pepper/Snapple, Hershey, Bacardi USA and founder of premium tea brand, Village Tea Company as well as boutique marketing consulting firm, WHTWRKS, Inc.
In a move to increase transparency and ease of communication for the Company’s shareholders, the Company launched a new social media platform to keep shareholders and the marketplace updated on company activities and other related news. The Company will utilize Twitter (@affinitybev), Linked-In (Affinity Beverage Group, Inc.) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/affinitybeverage) as its’ primary social media tools to share the latest company news, industry updates, sales and marketing activities as well as the latest in health and wellness news in an effort to develop an interactive dialogue with existing and potential shareholders who are interested in following the Company.
In November of 2015 the Company announced that it acquired a majority interest in Village Tea Company Distribution, Inc. Village Tea Company, headquartered in National Harbor, MD, is the owner of the Village Tea Company brand of premium loose leaf teas and tea accessories. Village Tea Company sources high-quality, unique teas that are blended to create distinct flavor combinations which are packaged in a variety of creative and earth-friendly ways for wholesale and retail sales.
In a synergistic move to go along with the acquisition of the majority interest in Village Tea Company Distribution, Inc., the Company also recently acquired distribution rights for Pura Organic Agave sweeteners which will be available at select US retailers in the coming weeks.
To raise the awareness around the Company’s branded products, Village Tea Company announced the launch of two new TV commercials as a part of the Company's new “What’s Your Everyday Escape” and “Slow Sips for the Fast Paced,” promotional campaign. The commercial campaign launched over the Thanksgiving weekend during the national broadcast of the 42nd Annual Bayou Classic football game on NBC Sports Network.
In December 2015 Village Tea Company announced that it is now an active distribution member of Union Kitchen in the Washington DC market. Union Kitchen (UK) is a DC based food incubator that exists to grow and promote local businesses by developing relationships with regional retail partners to bring its members' products to market. Union Kitchen works with retailers and other potential sales outlets, primarily in the Washington DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia markets to hold tastings that allows its member companies to pitch their products directly to buyers.
“We made significant strides in 2015 to help position our Company and our branded consumer products for a breakout year in 2016," stated Costley. "These successes are the result of our commitment to driving shareholder value and increasing revenues through expanded distribution and marketing. Already in 2016 our subsidiary, Village Tea Company has announced that it has partnered with the northeast Ohio based drugstore chain, Discount Drug Mart. Village Tea Company products will be available in all 73 Discount Drug Mart locations across the state of Ohio. Our goals for 2016 remain consistent with the core values we started to establish in the 4th quarter of 2015. In 2016, we will continue to expand by leveraging the assets of Village Tea Company as a sales and distribution aggregator with the intention of growing the overall sales footprint of our existing portfolio while continuing to seek synergistic acquisition opportunities in our ongoing effort to create additional value for our shareholders.”
About Village Tea:
Village Tea Distribution Company, Inc. (www.villageteaco.com) sources high-quality, unique teas with distinct flavor combinations and packages them under its Village Tea Company brand name in a variety of creative and earth-friendly ways. The Village Tea Company brand is currently sold in many major retailers throughout North America. The Company is no longer just about tea, as it is also using its unique positioning in the marketplace to create a distribution platform to introduce other complimentary health and wellness lifestyle brands and products to the US market.
About Affinity Beverage:
Affinity Beverage Group, Inc. (www.affinitybeverage.com) is a holding company that focuses on branded consumer product acquisition opportunities in the $3.4 trillion health and wellness sector. Affinity primarily targets lifestyle brands, companies, and/or exclusive product distribution rights focusing on traditional and non-traditional, healthy beverage options. Affinity will also seek opportunities involving uniquely positioned young brands specializing in all natural/organic foods, bio-food, supplements and personal care products for strategic partnerships, distribution agreements and potential acquisition.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above.