Feb. 22--RUSSELL -- As the health movement grows among Americans, one local company is hoping to be a leading distributer of products for the health-conscious consumer.
Mark Hannah, Dave Lambert and Rob Thompson formed Health Products of Kentucky LLC, which is based in Russell, late last year to market and distribute a variety of new, healthy products.
The first to hit stores is Health Cola, which will soon be available in the Tri-State through Clark's Pump N Shop. The cola is currently being sold exclusively through Walgreens, which debuted it in Florida several months ago.
Health Cola is manufactured by NuLab Nutrition Laboratories based in Clearwater, Fla., and is produced at plants in Orlando, Fla.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Memphis, Tenn.
Health Cola is an all-natural cola flavored with kola nuts and sweetened with natural fructose instead of corn syrup. It contains no artificial flavors or colorings. Hannah said the product is also healthy because it contains 150 percent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, along with protective antioxidants.
The recipe is a closely guarded secret but is a return to the old way of making soft drinks, Hannah said. He said he envisions a grassroots campaign elevating the product to compete with giants such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola, which together control much of the fluids market.
"Our product is so unique and different being the only cola that is all natural," Hannah said.
"I think because of being an all-natural cola drink, it will catch on. It's a matter of time," Lambert said.
Right now, as the master distributors of Health Cola, the company is focused on getting the product to the masses through as many retailers as possible. In addition to Walgreens, which has 6,000 stores nationwide, the company is pursuing agreements with The Kroger Co. and Whole Foods, along with smaller retail chains.
Lambert said the company is targeting anywhere soft drinks are sold. It's a process he has some experience with. For the last decade, he has worked in the wholesale tobacco and cigarette distributing industry with DWI LLC. He said with the cigarette business "going lopsided" he plans to phase out that company and "get into something where it's helping people."
He said he hopes to use his experience to sell Health Cola. After all, sodas are sold everywhere cigarettes are, he said. "We just have a natural 'in' door. We just have to open that door and push a new product through.
"We went up against big cigarette companies. Now we're going up against the large cola companies. Being able to know the trend has a lot of advantages to it," Lambert said.
Hannah, who describes himself as an inventor, said he has always had a passion for promoting health and well-being, especially among children.
For that reason, Health Products of Kentucky will only be distributing healthy products.
"Everything we've got is going to be good for you," he said.
The company will soon be bringing other products to market, including Coconut Water, which Hannah describes as "the only natural isotonic product in the world."
Other products in the works include a line of all-natural fruit drinks and an all-natural energy drink called Turbo Power Energy.
CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reached at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.
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