Nestlé USA has acquired Essentia Water, a functional water brand headquartered in Bothell, Washington.
Alkaline water company Essentia uses a proprietary process to ionise water, delivering a pH of 9.5 or higher.
The acquisition news follows an agreement, announced last month, for the sale of Nestlé’s North American water unit.
Nestlé revealed it was reviewing options for the unit in June 2020, as it announced that it would pursue a new strategic direction for its global water business, with an increased focus on its international brands, premium mineral waters and functional water products. The acquisition of Essentia is part of the continued transformation of the business.
“With the addition of Essentia we continue to transform and best position our water business for long-term profitable growth here in the US and globally,” said Steve Presley, chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA.
“We are excited to welcome the Essentia team to the Nestlé family as we expand our premium water portfolio. 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 – which recorded 2020 sales of $192 million – joins the Perrier, S.Pellegrino, San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna brands as part of Nestlé USA’s premium waters portfolio.
The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.