Jamie Reidy is more than a little jealous of the lessons Spencer and Wesley Vultaggio have learned from their dad… Namely, how to be the master brewers of America’s favorite tea in a can: AriZona Iced Tea.
Written in partnership with AriZona Iced Tea
—
Have you ever questioned any of the career decisions your father made? No, uh, me either. But, for argument’s sake, if we ever second-guessed our old men, a fair query would be, “Why didn’t you start a company that increased its sales nearly thirty-fold within its first two-and-a-half years and is now cool and hip and I could work there and be creative and yet still have fun?”
Wesley and Spencer Vultaggio don’t have any of those issues you or I may have with our pops.
The brothers, raised in Queens, NY are the second generation of leadership in the AriZona Beverage Company, the maker of the ubiquitous AriZona Iced Tea, as well as numerous flavored waters, juices, coffees, energy drinks and powdered tea mixes. The family-owned business started in 1990… with beer. Don Vultaggio and his partner John Ferolito sold suds out of the back of an old van. Seriously. Most of the beer they sold were imports, but eventually Don brewed his own, called Midnight Dragon, that became the number one beer in Brooklyn at that time. After noticing fancy new iced teas were flying off convenient store shelves, Don decided to try his hand at brewing his own tea, too.
A lot of huge successful businesses began in the garage. AriZona’s path to shaking up the beverage industry started in the kitchen. Don mixed the samples. Wes and Spence (I don’t know if they go by those nicknames, but I’ve bought enough of their drinks that feel like a distant cousin who can bust their chops) served as early – and unpaid – taste testers. Their mom Irene drew up the groundbreaking design, finding inspiration in the southwestern theme of their Queens, NY home. One beverage veteran cautioned the entrepreneurs, “You can’t sell iced tea in a can.” The Vultaggios didn’t listen.
In May of 1992, AriZona iced tea launched, selling over 700K cases by the end of the year. In December 1993, Fortune named AriZona Beverages one of 1993’s “hottest products.” By the end of 1994, they sold 20 million cases. Gulp.
In a discussion with interview.com, the fellas commented on those early days. Wesley, 33, recalled, “We were always part of the business. It is part of our DNA.” Spencer, 30, added, “Our father built AriZona for his family and has always run the company as a true family business where our input, opinions and feedback have been influential in the end result.” Even the boys’ grandpa got into the act, joining AriZona after he retired from a career at A&P, proving AriZona is truly an all-American, family-run business.
These brothers are tight. They even attended the same college – Boston University. Now, Wesley serves as the Creative Director of AriZona Beverage Company. He inadvertently developed their recent hit CocoZona Expresso, after he added their coconut water, CocoZona, to his iced coffee in the summer of 2012. “Everyone loved it—so I figured; why not bottle it for all our fans to try as well?” In his role as Executive Director, Spencer leads the company’s social media strategies. Not surprisingly, he’s good at the gig; AriZona is now one of the most followed consumer beverage through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@DrinkAriZona).
I would’ve expected the family members to get sick of each other. Nope; quite the opposite. Just how closely do Don Vultaggio and his sons work together? Everyday at lunchtime, they sit down for a meal at HQ; naturally, the food is served Italian family style.
It’s not hard to guess what beverages are offered.
–
Get to know the Vultaggio family personally! Join our #ThxDad Twitter chat with the AriZona brothers, and learn how their dad influenced the men they became. Monday, June 9 1-2 pm EST
–
Written and promoted in partnership with our friends at AriZona Iced Tea
I agree with Mr Smile. Spencer is very rude.
I have met Spencer many times. He is not a nice person.