Zenith International Acquires Industry Newsletter Beverage Digest
Bedford Hills, New York and Bath, U.K. -- Zenith International, a leading global food and beverage information and consulting company based in U.K., has acquired U.S.-based Beverage Digest, the influential news, data and conference company. The transaction closed Wednesday August 5th. Richard Hall, chairman of Zenith said, “I am delighted at the prospect of ensuring Beverage Digest remains the first and most trusted source on beverage industry news, statistics and debate. I have read every single issue of the newsletter for more than 25 years and have gained tremendous insights from its prestigious conferences." Mr. Hall will serve as publisher of Beverage Digest.
Duane Stanford has been named editor. Mr. Stanford has deep expertise in the beverage business, having covered it for almost a decade with Bloomberg News and before that with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Mr. Stanford will continue to be based in the U.S. Said Mr. Stanford: "I have great interest in this industry and respect for its leaders. I’ll look forward to continuing my coverage and the many relationships I have developed. I am proud to follow John Sicher, who has been instrumental to me in learning about this industry over the years."
John Sicher, former publisher and editor of Beverage Digest, expressed his pleasure with the transaction: "I have known Richard and Duane for a long time and have great regard for them and Zenith. They will be excellent stewards of Beverage Digest."
Concluded Mr. Hall: “There are very few people who could match up to the legacy of John Sicher’s reputation for accuracy and astute analysis. Duane Stanford’s track record is already well established, ensuring a seamless transition.”
About Zenith
The company's commercial and technical consultancy, market intelligence and conference services have helped shape the worldwide food and drinks industry for more than 20 years. Today it works with over 1,000 clients in 50 countries, ranging from start-ups to multinationals. Zenith helps these companies in nearly every aspect of their business, both commercial and technical. Its mix of market analysts, commercial strategists and engineers is unusual in a single consultancy, giving it expertise to take a broad view of clients' needs. For more information, visit the Zenith website: http://www.zenithinternational.com
About Beverage Digest
Beverage Digest publishes one of the industry’s most influential newsletters covering the non-alcoholic beverage industry and holds two conferences a year -- Future Smarts and Wall Street Smarts. The next Future Smarts conference will be held on December 14, 2015 in New York. Beverage Digest is also a leading provider of industry data, publishing several reference volumes including the comprehensive annual Fact Book. Its Coke System and Pepsi System map books profile the companies’ bottling systems in the U.S.
For more information:
Duane Stanford, Editor
dstanford@beverage-digest.com
John Sicher, Former Editor and Publisher
sicher@beverage-digest.com
Richard Hall, Publisher
rhall@zenithinternational.com