US: Nestlé acquires functional water brand Essentia

Essentia pioneered ionised alkaline water more than twenty years ago

Nestlé USA said it has acquired Essentia Water, a premium functional water brand headquartered in Bothell, Washington. Essentia pioneered ionized alkaline water more than twenty years ago and is the leading brand in that space in the US. Essentia recorded sales of $192 million last year.

This transaction is part of Nestlé’s continued transformation of its global water business, which was announced in June.

The company is sharpening its portfolio to focus on international premium and mineral water brands and healthy hydration products, such as functional water.

“With the addition of Essentia we continue to transform and best position our water business for long-term profitable growth here in the US and globally,” said Steve Presley, chairman and chief executive of Nestlé USA.

Presley said Essentia gives Nestlé an immediate strong presence in the high-growth, functional water segment and supports the company’s efforts to capture opportunities with emerging consumer trends such as healthy hydration.

The deal follows the agreement to sell Nestlé’s US and Canadian regional spring water brands, purified water business and beverage delivery service for $4.3 billion to private equity firms One Rock Capital Partners and Metropoulos announced in February.

Essentia uses a proprietary process to ionize water, delivering a clean, smooth taste and a pH of 9.5 or higher.

Essentia joins Nestlé’s portfolio of water brands including Perrier, S.Pellegrino, San Pellegrino, and Acqua Panna as part of the Premium Waters portfolio of Nestlé USA.