Vending

Nestlé USA acquires Essentia Water

Image courtesy of Nestlé USA.

March 5, 2021

Nestlé USA has acquired Essentia Water, a functional water brand based in Bothell, Washington, for an undisclosed sum, according to a press release. Essentia pioneered ionized alkaline water more than 20 years ago and is the leading brand in that space in the U.S., according to the press release.

Essentia joins brands Perrier, S.Pellegrino, San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna as part of the Premium Waters portfolio of Nestlé USA.

This transaction is part of Nestlé's continued transformation of its global water business, which was announced in June 2020. The company is focusing on international premium and mineral water brands and hydration products, such as functional water. This follows the agreement to sell Nestlé's U.S. and Canadian regional spring water brands, purified water business and beverage delivery service announced in February.

"With the addition of Essentia we continue to transform and best position our water business for long-term profitable growth here in the U.S. and globally," Steve Presley, chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA, said in the press release. "Essentia gives us an immediate strong presence in the high-growth, functional water segment and supports our efforts to capture opportunities with emerging consumer trends such as healthy hydration."

Essentia uses a proprietary process to ionize water, delivering a clean, smooth taste and a pH of 9.5 or higher. Essentia's 2020 sales were $192 million.