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Vendor Spotlight: Trident Beverage

Posted on May 28, 2019

Trident Beverage

More than 32 school districts in Texas plus several out-of-state members of Choice Partners Co-op count on Trident Beverage to supply students with smart snack compliant beverages on a daily basis. Once a district, college or university contracts to use Trident’s products, they remain long-term, satisfied customers.

 

Trident Beverage has been a Choice Partners awarded vendor for more than six years, expanding out to other states and all interested new members. The company began in 2004 in North Carolina as a small family-owned business when they created a 100-percent juice concentrate to be a smart snack compliant juice that met new federal regulations. Trident leads the market in change to help figh tobesity with no sugar added. Sweeteners used equal the value of fruit, such as pineapples, grapes or apples.

 

State and national dietetic concerns have created a need for “clean” labels. Trident has a leading edge on clean labels with options that include premium items with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

 

Trident offers frozen and chilled beverages, iced tea and premium cold brew coffee. After-school programs can take advantage of pre-packaged, 6-ounce juice pouches and 4-ounce smoothie cups, both 100-percent juice. For K-12 school districts, all juices can be a menu item or served a la carte. From juice to slush usually takes 1 to 1.5 hours and is not labor intensive.

 

The dispensing machines are provided at no charge in exchange for regular monthly purchases of Trident products. Storage and mixing containers are available at a nominal cost. This has been an easy decision-maker for most customers. A cost of product vs. sales ratio generally produces a 66-percent return on investment per cup. One high school in Harris County, purchases 60 cases per month. This can equal a large growth for any child nutrition budget.

 

The product can be in dry storage for up to 16 months and, if stored at 40° F, can be chilled for up to four weeks because it is juice only—no pulp. Galveston ISD, has partnered with Trident Beverage for more than seven years. Using the drink pouches for the district’s after-school program has helped minimize waste since no refrigeration is needed and any unused packages can be stored for future use. “Trident offers wonderful products that meet criteria and student popularity with excellent customer service,” said Jennifer Douglas, the district’s director of child nutrition.

 

The favorite slushy flavors are blue raspberry and strawberry. Trident will introduce the following new premium flavors for next school year: mandarin orange, fruit punch, peach mango, strawberry, pink lemonade and cherry limeade.

 

Charles Peoples, territory manager for Trident, likes to say, “You can hang your hat on our service. We give you our word, then we do our word.”

 

This motto is echoed by Donna Pittenger, executive director of nutrition and food service with Katy ISD, who said they appreciate what Trident does for the district. “They roll out new products and their staff is right there to help with training or repairs,” she said. “They will also deliver extra products when needed.”

 

Demand for this tasty, slushy drink is so high that many schools host multiple dispensing machines. Michelle Keener, director of child nutrition service for Deer Park ISD, said the high-volume request for the beverage is “flat out the door.” The district has two sets of slushy machines at one elementary and has used the coffee and smoothie machines at the high school for two years.

 

Trident Beverage has warehouses across the nation to serve any interested governmental entity, directly or by a distributor, via Choice Partners contract #16/025TJ-02. For more information, contact Trident through Charles Peoples at 832-451-5794 orcharlespeoples@juicealive.net.

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