Hello. Thank you for taking interest in GnuSante. My name is Ron Kendrick and I own and operate GnuSanté Creations along with my daughter. Why GnuSanté? Aren't there enough beverage companies out there already?! Here's a little background to explain a bit about the WHY behind GnuSanté...
I started in the beverage industry in the late ‘70’s as a lab tech with a Pepsi bottler. Over the years I have done everything from product development to quality assurance to managing overall company operations in soft drink, wine & spirits and bottled water companies. I have had the good fortune to work with brilliant and talented people in all facets of the business. It’s a business that I love but from a consumer perspective it’s gone off track.
Back in the day the beverage business was more straight forward. Drinks were relatively simple concoctions and typically made by local producers. Over the years technology has offered more sophisticated ingredients and production equipment to extend shelf life and increase production capacity. We now see mega plants produce huge volumes of products at a time. Products are formulated and processed to “last forever” and then passed along through warehouses and middlemen until they find their way into your home. On the surface this seems like progress but let’s take a closer look.
The biggest beverage companies have the size and financial leverage to self-produce and distribute, thereby keeping costs as low as possible. Using their clout of low prices, large volumes, and massive budgets for sales incentives and marketing spin, they are able to keep much of the competition out of the game. However most beverage companies don’t have the critical mass to self-produce and distribute so they opt for using a matrix of contract packagers (co-packers), distributors, and brokers to get their product to the retail shelf. For these companies, product acceptance by middlemen is critical; distributor & retailer opinions can affect packaging, labeling, and even ingredients. In this system, every middleman makes a profit, which adds cost to the price paid by the consumer. In the end, cheaper ingredients, long shelf life and mass production support lower prices, while marketing spin convinces us that we receive good value. Watching corporate profits and market share hold reign over better ingredients and fresher products have convinced me that this system needs to change.
There is an old adage that says "when you get to the fork in the road, take it". GnuSanté Creations is our fork in the road. We could play it safe and stay with convention or choose to take a risk and try to do business differently, hopefully in a meaningful way. This has meant building a company based on quality and consumer respect, where we formulate and our own beverages. What you put into your body becomes you, so we use better ingredients for you, and friendlier packaging for the environment. In doing business this way, we hope to make a difference and give value to you, our consumer.
Our meaning begins with understanding that all of us juggle personal, family and career responsibilities every day and need a company that can be trusted to put our health needs ahead of the bottom line. We mean to be that company. At GnuSanté our people work together in service to one another and our customers. A company that is accessible and completely dedicated to providing wholesome and delicious products at prices that offer real value - without half-truth marketing.
Ultimately our purpose is to improve the quality of life for all who make and consume our products and to offer those we serve a voice in what we make (we would love to hear from you – questions, comments or concerns!) It is our hope that our products are a great part of your healthy day.
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