SEBWA - Southeastern Bottled Water Association

Greetings in the 1st Quarter of 2008! Yes, another year gone, but definitely not forgotten. I must say 2007 was a very interesting year for our industry, and 2008 projects to be interesting and challenging, yet productive. Our industry has been through many changes over the years, and I believe those changes have merely touched the surface.

Well, let’s begin with the obvious. The Southeast United States has been plagued with a drought at a magnitude that many areas have never witnessed. Droughts and other natural disasters tend to awaken “the sleeping”. For most, if all is well, then all is forgotten. This drought is definitely not forgotten. It has stirred many of individuals and most of all, our government.

In 2007 with the ongoing criticism from activist groups, the media and many other making unwarranted claims against our industry, it has caused a heap of actions.

To name a few, this year we saw municipalities banning the purchase of bottled water for use within governmental offices. We saw new and expanded taxes on bottled water, such as Chicago’s City Council adopting a $0.05 tax on each bottled water container in both the PET and the H.O.D. sector.

More importantly, we witnessed concern from The House Domestic Policy Subcommittee in the hearing titled: “Assessing the Environmental Risks of the Water Bottling Industry’s Extraction of Groundwater”. This hearing reviewed the environmental impact of the bottling plants extracting ground and spring water in rural communities. It addressed issues like:

All of these events can have a major negative impact on my company and your company, as well as the entire bottled water industry.

Please help by supporting your regional and/or national associations in an effort to ward off many of these unwarranted claims and unnessacery changes before it is too late.

Past SEBWA President's Letters

Bottled Water Deposits Proposed by N.Y. Governor

Watching what other states are doing legislatively is important for our SEBWA members. For example, a 5-cent deposit on non-carbonated beverage bottles, including bottled water was proposed by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, according to reports by the Associated Press and other media. This, in his first budget plan on January 31, 2007.

This is nothing new for the carbonated beverage industry, for the last 25 years New York has had a statewide 5-cent deposit on all of its containers. Spitzer stated in his budget message that by adding the non-carbonated sector of the beverage industry to the deposit program, it would raise about $25 million. Of which he proposed adding for the purchase of environmentally sensitive lands through a state fund, according to the reports.

The bottled water sector along with other non-carbonated beverages have opposed other bottle deposit laws, stating that it imposes undue weight on businesses: they instead urge that communities broaden or undertake new recycling programs to alleviate the impact of containers in the landfills.

Non-carbonated beverage bottle-deposit legislation has been supported by the New York Assembly, only to be opposed by the state Senate. As all bills, they must pass both legislative branches and then be signed by the governor before it become law.

With the April 1 budget approval deadline approaching, we can expect to see a heightened time of talk and maneuvering among legislative leaders and the governor based upon the governor’s message.

It may sound like it’s along distance away from us, but it could only be a couple of year away. Let us all be vigilant on such issues before it is too late. Help us with our endeavor by supporting your regional associations.

I am looking forward to seeing each of you at the upcoming 2007 SEBWA Convention & Trade Show, May 10-11, 2007 at the Marriott Baypoint in Panama City, FL!

As the incoming president of the Southeastern Bottled Water Association, I would like to thank everyone who has served the Association as a volunteer in the past and I look forward to working with those of you who will serve in the future. This also includes JSJ Productions, our management staff. I would like to say a big thank you to the hard work that was put into our 2006 Joint SEBWA – MABWA Convention. Thank you, Thank you, and again, Thank you.

SEBWA has been fortunate to have had and not have men and women serving on its Board and Committees who are action and result-oriented, thoughtful, conscientious, able to recognize what is best for the industry and willing and able to make and implement difficult decisions. Your support of our goals and commitment to our industry has made the Association a sought after source of information and integral part of bottling businesses in our region.

So, where do we go from here? Forward. How? With the full commitment that we have seen in the past. Why? For both our sake and the consumers' sake. SEBWA has been said to be “a must for my business plan”, because when I don’t have the answer to something I can simply call upon the friendly, dedicated membership of SEBWA and get it settled. We strive to keep this as the first choice option in the members' and consumers' minds.

I am a tremendous believer in a teamwork environment. By working together the Association can set goals and conquer all our objectives that could not be accomplished by any one individual alone. As we move “Forward”, our team must hold firm to our Mission Statement, which is:

“The purpose of the Southeastern Bottled Water Association is to provide its members with information to enhance industry knowledge, category growth and operating efficiencies. The Association should be viewed as a resource in promoting greater levels of awareness for government relations, quality control, technical advancements and public relations. Membership commitment toward improving communication and understanding will ultimately determine the success of the Association.”

I look forward to working with each of you in the near future to promote and advance the interest of the bottled water industry. Our finest days lay ahead and I hope you'll be part of it. Together we will share in the joy.

This year’s 2006 Joint SEBWA and MABWA Convention March 23rd - 25th in Austin, Texas will be an excellent convention. Over the last ten years that I have been involved in this association, I have seen this association grow and become a better organized association that serves the needs of its membership. Because of the hard work of our past Presidents, Board and Committee members, this organization and its conventions continue to climb to new heights. “A company has to reinvent itself every five years. If we had not done this, we’d be obsolete”. I believe that innovation is critical to all industries. There is risk associated with change, but the payoffs can be extraordinarily good despite “bumps along the road”.

This year’s convention will provide workshops that can prevent us from becoming obsolete and help us navigate ourselves and our companies through those bumps along the road.

A wide range of workshops have been developed to provide innovative strategies for any audience, from the most experienced to those new for the industry. We will have a Trade Show featuring new and innovative products and an opportunity to make new friends and develop new business relationships.

As we start the new year and prepare for the upcoming convention in March, I encourage every member to become involved in every way possible. Join one of the SEBWA’s standing committees. Our next SEBWA Board of Directors and Committee meetings are March 24, 2006 at the Driskill Hotel in Austin, which is the site of the 2006 Joint SEBWA & MABWA Convention.

Dear SEBWA Members: (September 2004)

I hope each and every one of you are reaping the profits of the bottled water industry. Bottled water is now the number two beverage in the world. This growing segment of the beverage industry can be attributed to several factors. Baby boomers are maturing and their tastes, as well as waistlines, are guiding them toward more natural, less caloric beverages. The fear of deteriorating taste and quality of tap water along with the concern for unknown contaminants has placed bottle water as the perfect solution.

The last six months I have seen several of the smaller bottled water companies being acquired by their competitors. Recently for example: Crystal Mountain Natural Spring Water acquired Mountain Valley of Huntsville, Kyuka recently acquired Culligan of Birmingham and Crystal Mountain water of Mobile recently was acquired by Abita Spring Water. Consolidation is still strong in the water industry.

The SEBWA Board of Directors and the Programs and Forums Committee will meet in New Orleans, LA on September 10th. The purpose of the board meeting will be to discuss our upcoming convention with the Texas Bottled Water Association. We will focus on coordinating and identifying the needs of our membership.

I encourage every member to contact our office with any concerns, opportunities or ideas that will enhance our association and the 2005 convention.

Very truly yours,
Terry L.Roberts
SEBWA President

This year's Southeastern Bottled Water Convention in Biloxi , Mississippi was unbelievable! This was the first time that we merged our convention with another bottled water association, The Texas Bottle Water Association. This convention once again demonstrated the quality and commitment from both the association's membership and the suppliers. The opportunity to learn, socialize and network with the Texas Bottled Water Association really strengthened the convention. Susan Gibson and her team gave an outstanding performance.

I want to thank the Southeastern Bottled Water membership for their support as I assume the position of SEBWA President. With the leadership and dedication of your SEBWA Board of Directors we will be working hard throughout the year to bring you new value-added programs and benefits to our membership. I would encourage all members to enroll on a membership committee. Our Association is a resource for the membership to gain a better vision of our government relations, quality control, technical advancements, and public relations.

I want to thank Winnie Louie for her outstanding leadership and contribution as past SEBWA President. The Association has made great strides under Winnie's leadership.

Our next Board of Directors Meeting will be held on September 10, 2004. Part of our meeting will be devoted to defining SEBWA priorities and objectives for the next year. I encourage your input and attendance.

Dear SEBWA Members (November 2003),

First of all, I want to thank all the member's feedback after the convention on how we can improve as an Association and what you see the value and needs for the growth of SEBWA. On behalf of the Association, thank you. We take all the comments and feedback seriously and will continue to make changes to meet your needs.

Several key points that we will be addressing in the next few months:

1) Communication: we will to continue to focus on giving members the information they need via our website. This will enhance and stress the benefit of joining the Association and see the value of being a member of the association. One of the big changes will be updating the website on a monthly basis with information added to the site and also will feature a search engine for archives. Members will be able to search for the information they need on the web and possibly have a Buyer's Guide which will feature our supplier memberships with information of their product lines. This would be very beneficial to the members in the selection of companies, search for technical bulletin information, technical manuals lists, and most importantly, the Regulatory update in archive folder. It is not quite there yet, but it does have some useful information for both new comers and old timers. It has information about the next scheduled meeting and I want to stress that SEBWA website belongs to you, so use it and let me know if you would like to see any new features, we will do our best to make those changes.

2) Membership: We all know membership is important for the success of the Association, Shane Taylor has been working hard on the membership campaign and he needs your support to push the campaign forward to make our Association and industry stronger. SEBWA also looking for committee members who are willing to share knowledge and help the association grow.

3) 2004 Annual convention: we are looking ahead to the next annual convention, which we will be teaming up with TBWA in Biloxi, Mississippi. We are going to pack the convention with technical workshops and discussion panels to make this a convention you do not want to miss. More information will be followed in the coming newsletter as we finalized the program.

Sincerely

Winnie Louie
SEBWA President

Dear SEBWA Members (September 2003),

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked very hard in making our 2003 SEBWA Annual Convention at Hutchinson Island a big success. Special thanks to our Programs and Forums Chairman, Jay Goodman, who did an excellent job of putting together the program this year. Jay worked with our management group, JSJ Productions, Inc., to accomplish the tireless task of coordinating our speakers, educational sessions, and events.

The goal of the Annual Convention has always been to provide a venue where attendees can take advantage of educational sessions, suppliers and speakers who bring information that helps us produce better products for delivery to consumers through efficient and profitable means. The Annual Convention also provides learning opportunities, a revisit of current knowledge or reinforcement of existing processes or information, to help ensure that our industry remains grounded in the basics.

Of course, there are a number of social and networking events. Talking with industry colleagues and suppliers, who furnish us with the goods and services needed to bring our products to market. This is one of the strongest educational tools available. Through these interactions, knowledge is shared, ideas are tested and bonds are strengthened to solidify our industry, which enhances the quality of our industry and our products. This year was no exception as we were entertained by a list of great presentations throughout the week.

The educational portion of the program began with an IBWA facilitated workshop on "HACCP and Security", which was well attended due to the important nature of bioterrorism issues facing industry bottlers, "Expanding Your Business Portfolio" by Chris Dunn, and Troy Flanigan of IBWA presented the most current regulatory update for our members. Our featured speaker, Mike Brunett of Nestle Waters of North America, presented a powerful review of the positioning of the bottled water segment within the overall beverage industry. His presentation was both interesting and educational.

The 2003 SEBWA Golf Tournament was a huge success with a new challenge named the "twister". Even the best golfers met their challenges trying to keep up with that magic little yellow ball. The weather was great, and I hope everyone had a good time. We encountered another "twister" with the 2003 SEBWA Fishing Tournament. It rained all morning causing a high sea. But, despite the bad weather, I think everyone had a good time and enjoyed the time with each other.

Overall, the 2003 Annual Convention was a great success, and I thank you very much for your participation. We have already started working on the 2004 SEBWA Annual Convention, which will take place in Biloxi, Mississippi. This will be a joint convention and Trade Show with TBWA – A Regional Bottled Water Association. We will need your support to make it a great success.

Winnie Louie
SEBWA President



			New SEBWA President's Letter - Coming Soon! Dear SEBWA Members, Greetings in the 1st Quarter of 2008! Yes, another year gone, but definitely not forgotten. I must say 2007 was a very interesting year for our industry, and 2008 projects to be interesting and challenging, yet productive. Our industry has been through many changes over the years, and I believe those changes have merely touched the surface. What do I mean? Where am I going with this? Well, let’s begin with the obvious. The Southeast United States has been plagued with a drought at a magnitude that many areas have never witnessed. Droughts and other natural disasters tend to awaken “the sleeping”. For most, if all is well, then all is forgotten. This drought is definitely not forgotten. It has stirred many of individuals and most of all, our government. In 2007 with the ongoing criticism from activist groups, the media and many other making unwarranted claims against our industry, it has caused a heap of actions. To name a few, this year we saw municipalities banning the purchase of bottled water for use within governmental offices. We saw new and expanded taxes on bottled water, such as Chicago’s City Council adopting a $0.05 tax on each bottled water container in both the PET and the H.O.D. sector. More importantly, we witnessed concern from The House Domestic Policy Subcommittee in the hearing titled: “Assessing the Environmental Risks of the Water Bottling Industry’s Extraction of Groundwater”. This hearing reviewed the environmental impact of the bottling plants extracting ground and spring water in rural communities. It addressed issues like: Wider policies for the bottled water industry Community impact Geological/Hydrological implications on local aquifers General industry practices The adequacy of governmental rights (its rights to the water) All of these events can have a major negative impact on my company and your company, as well as the entire bottled water industry. Please help by supporting your regional and/or national associations in an effort to ward off many of these unwarranted claims and unnessacery changes before it is too late. Best of Business, Shane Taylor SEBWA President Past SEBWA President's Letters Bottled Water Deposits Proposed by N.Y. Governor Dear Members: Watching what other states are doing legislatively is important for our SEBWA members. For example, a 5-cent deposit on non-carbonated beverage bottles, including bottled water was proposed by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, according to reports by the Associated Press and other media. This, in his first budget plan on January 31, 2007. This is nothing new for the carbonated beverage industry, for the last 25 years New York has had a statewide 5-cent deposit on all of its containers. Spitzer stated in his budget message that by adding the non-carbonated sector of the beverage industry to the deposit program, it would raise about $25 million. Of which he proposed adding for the purchase of environmentally sensitive lands through a state fund, according to the reports. The bottled water sector along with other non-carbonated beverages have opposed other bottle deposit laws, stating that it imposes undue weight on businesses: they instead urge that communities broaden or undertake new recycling programs to alleviate the impact of containers in the landfills. Non-carbonated beverage bottle-deposit legislation has been supported by the New York Assembly, only to be opposed by the state Senate. As all bills, they must pass both legislative branches and then be signed by the governor before it become law. With the April 1 budget approval deadline approaching, we can expect to see a heightened time of talk and maneuvering among legislative leaders and the governor based upon the governor’s message. It may sound like it’s along distance away from us, but it could only be a couple of year away. Let us all be vigilant on such issues before it is too late. Help us with our endeavor by supporting your regional associations. I am looking forward to seeing each of you at the upcoming 2007 SEBWA Convention & Trade Show, May 10-11, 2007 at the Marriott Baypoint in Panama City, FL! Shane Taylor SEBWA President Dear SEBWA Members, I am excited! As the incoming president of the Southeastern Bottled Water Association, I would like to thank everyone who has served the Association as a volunteer in the past and I look forward to working with those of you who will serve in the future. This also includes JSJ Productions, our management staff. I would like to say a big thank you to the hard work that was put into our 2006 Joint SEBWA – MABWA Convention. Thank you, Thank you, and again, Thank you. SEBWA has been fortunate to have had and not have men and women serving on its Board and Committees who are action and result-oriented, thoughtful, conscientious, able to recognize what is best for the industry and willing and able to make and implement difficult decisions. Your support of our goals and commitment to our industry has made the Association a sought after source of information and integral part of bottling businesses in our region. So, where do we go from here? Forward. How? With the full commitment that we have seen in the past. Why? For both our sake and the consumers' sake. SEBWA has been said to be “a must for my business plan”, because when I don’t have the answer to something I can simply call upon the friendly, dedicated membership of SEBWA and get it settled. We strive to keep this as the first choice option in the members' and consumers' minds. I am a tremendous believer in a teamwork environment. By working together the Association can set goals and conquer all our objectives that could not be accomplished by any one individual alone. As we move “Forward”, our team must hold firm to our Mission Statement, which is: “The purpose of the Southeastern Bottled Water Association is to provide its members with information to enhance industry knowledge, category growth and operating efficiencies. The Association should be viewed as a resource in promoting greater levels of awareness for government relations, quality control, technical advancements and public relations. Membership commitment toward improving communication and understanding will ultimately determine the success of the Association.” I look forward to working with each of you in the near future to promote and advance the interest of the bottled water industry. Our finest days lay ahead and I hope you'll be part of it. Together we will share in the joy. SHANE TAYLOR SEBWA President Climbing To New Heights This year’s 2006 Joint SEBWA and MABWA Convention March 23rd - 25th in Austin, Texas will be an excellent convention. Over the last ten years that I have been involved in this association, I have seen this association grow and become a better organized association that serves the needs of its membership. Because of the hard work of our past Presidents, Board and Committee members, this organization and its conventions continue to climb to new heights. “A company has to reinvent itself every five years. If we had not done this, we’d be obsolete”. I believe that innovation is critical to all industries. There is risk associated with change, but the payoffs can be extraordinarily good despite “bumps along the road”. This year’s convention will provide workshops that can prevent us from becoming obsolete and help us navigate ourselves and our companies through those bumps along the road. A wide range of workshops have been developed to provide innovative strategies for any audience, from the most experienced to those new for the industry. We will have a Trade Show featuring new and innovative products and an opportunity to make new friends and develop new business relationships. As we start the new year and prepare for the upcoming convention in March, I encourage every member to become involved in every way possible. Join one of the SEBWA’s standing committees. Our next SEBWA Board of Directors and Committee meetings are March 24, 2006 at the Driskill Hotel in Austin, which is the site of the 2006 Joint SEBWA & MABWA Convention. Sincerely, Terry Roberts SEBWA President Dear SEBWA Members: (September 2004) I hope each and every one of you are reaping the profits of the bottled water industry. Bottled water is now the number two beverage in the world. This growing segment of the beverage industry can be attributed to several factors. Baby boomers are maturing and their tastes, as well as waistlines, are guiding them toward more natural, less caloric beverages. The fear of deteriorating taste and quality of tap water along with the concern for unknown contaminants has placed bottle water as the perfect solution. The last six months I have seen several of the smaller bottled water companies being acquired by their competitors. Recently for example: Crystal Mountain Natural Spring Water acquired Mountain Valley of Huntsville, Kyuka recently acquired Culligan of Birmingham and Crystal Mountain water of Mobile recently was acquired by Abita Spring Water. Consolidation is still strong in the water industry. The SEBWA Board of Directors and the Programs and Forums Committee will meet in New Orleans, LA on September 10th. The purpose of the board meeting will be to discuss our upcoming convention with the Texas Bottled Water Association. We will focus on coordinating and identifying the needs of our membership. I encourage every member to contact our office with any concerns, opportunities or ideas that will enhance our association and the 2005 convention. Very truly yours, Terry L.Roberts SEBWA President Dear Members (June 2004), This year's Southeastern Bottled Water Convention in Biloxi , Mississippi was unbelievable! This was the first time that we merged our convention with another bottled water association, The Texas Bottle Water Association. This convention once again demonstrated the quality and commitment from both the association's membership and the suppliers. The opportunity to learn, socialize and network with the Texas Bottled Water Association really strengthened the convention. Susan Gibson and her team gave an outstanding performance. I want to thank the Southeastern Bottled Water membership for their support as I assume the position of SEBWA President. With the leadership and dedication of your SEBWA Board of Directors we will be working hard throughout the year to bring you new value-added programs and benefits to our membership. I would encourage all members to enroll on a membership committee. Our Association is a resource for the membership to gain a better vision of our government relations, quality control, technical advancements, and public relations. I want to thank Winnie Louie for her outstanding leadership and contribution as past SEBWA President. The Association has made great strides under Winnie's leadership. Our next Board of Directors Meeting will be held on September 10, 2004. Part of our meeting will be devoted to defining SEBWA priorities and objectives for the next year. I encourage your input and attendance. Sincerely, Terry L. Roberts SEBWA President Dear SEBWA Members (November 2003), First of all, I want to thank all the member's feedback after the convention on how we can improve as an Association and what you see the value and needs for the growth of SEBWA. On behalf of the Association, thank you. We take all the comments and feedback seriously and will continue to make changes to meet your needs. Several key points that we will be addressing in the next few months: 1) Communication: we will to continue to focus on giving members the information they need via our website. This will enhance and stress the benefit of joining the Association and see the value of being a member of the association. One of the big changes will be updating the website on a monthly basis with information added to the site and also will feature a search engine for archives. Members will be able to search for the information they need on the web and possibly have a Buyer's Guide which will feature our supplier memberships with information of their product lines. This would be very beneficial to the members in the selection of companies, search for technical bulletin information, technical manuals lists, and most importantly, the Regulatory update in archive folder. It is not quite there yet, but it does have some useful information for both new comers and old timers. It has information about the next scheduled meeting and I want to stress that SEBWA website belongs to you, so use it and let me know if you would like to see any new features, we will do our best to make those changes. 2) Membership: We all know membership is important for the success of the Association, Shane Taylor has been working hard on the membership campaign and he needs your support to push the campaign forward to make our Association and industry stronger. SEBWA also looking for committee members who are willing to share knowledge and help the association grow. 3) 2004 Annual convention: we are looking ahead to the next annual convention, which we will be teaming up with TBWA in Biloxi, Mississippi. We are going to pack the convention with technical workshops and discussion panels to make this a convention you do not want to miss. More information will be followed in the coming newsletter as we finalized the program. Sincerely Winnie Louie SEBWA President Dear SEBWA Members (September 2003), I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked very hard in making our 2003 SEBWA Annual Convention at Hutchinson Island a big success. Special thanks to our Programs and Forums Chairman, Jay Goodman, who did an excellent job of putting together the program this year. Jay worked with our management group, JSJ Productions, Inc., to accomplish the tireless task of coordinating our speakers, educational sessions, and events. The goal of the Annual Convention has always been to provide a venue where attendees can take advantage of educational sessions, suppliers and speakers who bring information that helps us produce better products for delivery to consumers through efficient and profitable means. The Annual Convention also provides learning opportunities, a revisit of current knowledge or reinforcement of existing processes or information, to help ensure that our industry remains grounded in the basics. Of course, there are a number of social and networking events. Talking with industry colleagues and suppliers, who furnish us with the goods and services needed to bring our products to market. This is one of the strongest educational tools available. Through these interactions, knowledge is shared, ideas are tested and bonds are strengthened to solidify our industry, which enhances the quality of our industry and our products. This year was no exception as we were entertained by a list of great presentations throughout the week. The educational portion of the program began with an IBWA facilitated workshop on "HACCP and Security", which was well attended due to the important nature of bioterrorism issues facing industry bottlers, "Expanding Your Business Portfolio" by Chris Dunn, and Troy Flanigan of IBWA presented the most current regulatory update for our members. Our featured speaker, Mike Brunett of Nestle Waters of North America, presented a powerful review of the positioning of the bottled water segment within the overall beverage industry. His presentation was both interesting and educational. The 2003 SEBWA Golf Tournament was a huge success with a new challenge named the "twister". Even the best golfers met their challenges trying to keep up with that magic little yellow ball. The weather was great, and I hope everyone had a good time. We encountered another "twister" with the 2003 SEBWA Fishing Tournament. It rained all morning causing a high sea. But, despite the bad weather, I think everyone had a good time and enjoyed the time with each other. Overall, the 2003 Annual Convention was a great success, and I thank you very much for your participation. We have already started working on the 2004 SEBWA Annual Convention, which will take place in Biloxi, Mississippi. This will be a joint convention and Trade Show with TBWA – A Regional Bottled Water Association. We will need your support to make it a great success. Winnie Louie SEBWA President
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New SEBWA President's Letter - Coming Soon!

Past SEBWA President's Letters

Bottled Water Deposits Proposed by N.Y. Governor