Juice maker retools former Dinuba Odwalla plant
Will open first Valley retail store in Fresno
-October 23,2021-
Start-up juice companies Odwalla and Pressed Juicery were each launched on a shoestring by their visionary founders – both out of a garage or broom closet along the California coast. Both grew exponentially and settled on making fresh squeezed juice in the heart of the state’s tree-fruit belt, in Dinuba California.
Odwalla grew fast but later stumbled and then closed some time after it was sold to Coca Cola.
Now another company – Pressed Juicery or Pressed- is carrying on at the same 220,000sf manufacturing complex that Coke abandoned. This is happening 6 years later at the 50-acre former Odwalla plant. As they started up, Pressed sought out a number of the former Odwalla employees who lost their jobs in 2016, says Chief Supply Chain Officer Mike Stokes.
Despite some similarities like their young and dedicated customer base there is a big difference between how Odwalla and Pressed Juicery process the product, explains Stokes.
Odwalla originally sold unpasteurized juices, claiming that the process of pasteurization altered the natural flavor of the juice. Following an E. coli outbreak and the death of at least one child, a story that made national news, Odwalla adopted flash pasteurization to insure pathogens were eliminated. This changed the fresh juice industry as many adopted heat treated processing.
Pressed Juicery technology
By contrast, the Pressed Juicery company embraces pressure – high pressure. Instead of pasteurization of the ingredients they put the juice in a high pressure (HPP) machine that allows those ‘just picked’ flavors to stay strong while eliminating any pathogens.
By processing foods at extremely high water pressure (up to 6,000 bar / 87,000 psi – more than the deepest ocean),HPP machines neutralize listeria, salmonella, E. coli and other deadly bacteria.
Unlike thermal, chemical and other high-heat treatments, HPP runs cold, says the equipment maker. It doesn’t alter food taste, texture or quality, or require loads of chemicals to stay “fresh.” Even better, it can extend shelf life up to two or three times longer than traditional preservation methods.
Like the former tenant, Pressed was launched on a small scale back in 2010 – propelled by a personal campaign to make healthy juice and smoothies. It began by squeezing orange juice with a second hand juicer.
In Odwalla’s case the first squeeze happened in Half Moon Bay California. In the case of Pressed Juicery ,founder Hayden Slater and co-conspirators convinced a local LA cupcake shop to lend their kitchen at night so he had a place to make juice. Almost every night, from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., he would be there. It started in a broom closet beneath a yoga studio in Brentwood, Slater stated in a published interview.
Both had a vision beyond making money describing their enterprises as a way to “save the planet.” Odwalla’s founders- three jazz musicians- proclaimed a desire to” nourish people everywhere, respect our planet, protect the soil, and create products good for the soul.”
Pressed philosophy says “Real, plant-based food holds the power to not only nourish our bodies but inspire a lifelong wellness journey. At Pressed, we think everyone deserves to enjoy the best of what nature has to offer, which is why we’re dedicated to making wholesome nutrition as accessible as possible.”
Here’s how Pressed describes their mission.
Pressed is a leading plant-based beverage, snacks, and treats brand focused on providing people with delicious, accessible, real-food that inspires healthier living. Our vertically integrated model provides access to our cold-pressed juices, functional shots, alternative milks, and plant-based soft serve through our 90+ retail stores, 2000+ wholesale doors, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform.
Since our inception in 2010, Pressed has become one of the fastest-growing retailers in the United States and is the most followed juice brand on social media. We are a brand of choice for health and wellness followers yet are approachable to everyday consumers striving to make positive changes in their lifestyles. Our growth is anchored in a vision where plant-forward nutrition is a part of everyone’s life
Today, the chain has plans to expand further in the Eastern US including Washington DC and to Philadelphia. They are already in NYC. Beyond juice, the company now offers coffee, smoothies and plant-based soft-serve treats.
Dinuba key to success
As to the importance of finding the vacant Dinuba facility, Stokes tells the story of how founder Slater spent time with Elon Musk who told him “Tesla would not have existed without first acquiring the former automotive plant in Fremont Calif – the NUMMI manufacturing facility – for pennies on the dollar. Musk paid $42 million for the former GM-Toyota joint-venture facility, considered a bargain that helped launch the electric car era.
The story illustrates the importance of a key low-cost acquisition at the early stage of a company’s growth that makes all the difference.
For Slater,” the empty Dinuba juice plant was his Nummi – even though he didn’t need it for at least 3 years ” says Stokes.The price tag has not been released but the plant came full of equipment, unlike the Musk’s deal. ”Coke just walked away” Stokes adds. This all happened late in 2016.
By 2017 Salter began bottling in Dinuba for other companies including the current bottling of apple cider vinegar for Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, a fast growing health food with all kinds of wellness uses – even as a shampoo.
Only now, in Oct 2021, is Pressed installing its first $7 million HPP cold press machine to process fruit and vegetable juice that will end up in company bottles. The company is now gearing up to make Dinuba one of their key manufacturing headquarters.
Retail growth
Unlike Odwalla’s approach, Pressed Juicery has nearly 100 of their own retail stores where the great majority of the juice is sold.This is despite the fact their juice is the number one seller at major organic retailers like Sprouts in a crowded refrigerated juice aisle.
Now they will open their first retail store in the San Joaquin Valley, says Stokes, early next year at the Villaggio Shopping Center in Fresno. Some 30 new stores are slated for 2022 chain wide.
Pressed operates another bottling facility in Fresno, off Highway 99 and Jensen, where they employ about 70. By this coming year Stokes estimates that Dinuba plant employment should climb to 125 to 150 even though both facilities will be operating.
Stokes says some 70% of the produce coming into the Tulare County plant comes from a radius of around 200 miles including from local growers like Bee Sweet.