Beverage Business INSIGHTS

April 20, 2011

With O Water Stabilized, Founder First Joins First Beverage Group

Tom First, who says his O Water is now cash-flow-positive after being folded into investor/distributor Polar Beverage (BBI, Apr 12), has moved on to role as co-managing dir of First Beverage Group, where he will be involved in both Beverage Intelligence Group consulting arm and First Beverage Ventures vc arm seeking investments in early-stage bevcos. Tom, whose first entrepreneurial fling involved co-creating Nantucket Nectars fresh out of school, takes role among brain trust that includes First Beverage founder Bill Anderson and distribution vet Joth Ricci. At O Water, sales vp Chris Kinch will succeed First in running O Water.