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At first blush, it might seem ironic that the aha-moment that inspired Nicholas Reichenbach to start Flow Alkaline Spring Water – a brand known as much for its social and environmental practices as its natural spring water – occurred in a desert.
Today, the company’s latest strides include its recent preparations to go public, signalling a hope that institutional and private investors could soon be able to join Flow’s movement and support the ethical production and consumption of packaged beverages. Flow’s purpose-driven approach to business has already attracted the support of dozens of celebrity influencers — from Coldplay, Shawn Mendes and Taboo (Black Eyed Peas) to NBA superstar Russell Westbrook and hundreds of brand ambassadors.
Flow’s story began in 2015, after Reichenbach attended the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. There, he witnessed a stunning mountain of plastic water bottle waste left by attendees.
Reichenbach called his wife Tammy Eckenswiller. “I have an idea for the family spring,” he said, referring to an artesian well on his family’s fifth-generation property in southern Ontario.
Shortly after, the serial entrepreneur set out on a mission to create a mindfully packaged water brand committed to environmental, social wand governance (ESG) principles and wellness.
Eckenswiller, now the company’s SVP of Creative, came up with the name “Flow.” The brand has been making waves ever since.
Last year, Flow’s sales were propelled by 20,000 retailers and nearly 18 million customers across North America. Flow is now the fastest-growing premium water brand in Canada.
After building Flow Water into an ESG champion, founder and executive chairman Nicholas Reichenbach is now planning to take his company public.supplied
Stateside, Flow’s Virginia spring source is virtually identical to its Canadian spring in terms of key minerals – including calcium, magnesium, potassium and calcium carbonate – that provide health benefits and a naturally alkaline pH. Both its Canadian and U.S. manufacturing facilities are vertically integrated, powered largely by green energy and located close to the company’s springs and key markets.
A certified B-Corp, Flow’s dedication to ESG principles is central to its mass appeal. Distancing itself from traditional bottlers, Flow challenged Tetra Pak to create a smarter package. The result: a 100 per cent recyclable, plant-fibre-based carton made from certified renewable resources, including a cap made from sugarcane. “In the past four years, by choosing Flow instead of plastic bottles, our consumers have avoided tens of thousands of tonnes of plastic and the carbon emissions that represents,” says Reichenbach.
Recycling partner Continuus Materials turns Flow cartons into roofing materials. For these and other laudable efforts, including having carbon-balanced operations, the company recently earned a Canada’s Clean50 award.
“It’s all part of our vision to create the world’s premier sustainable premium water and functional beverage company,” says Reichenbach.
The work of achieving Reichenbach’s mission will be shouldered by Flow’s recently bolstered executive ranks, now led by Flow CEO Maurizio Patarnello, a veteran global packaged water executive.
“Flow has tapped directly into the modern consumer’s desire for high-quality sustainable water and functional beverage products, and is poised to be a market leader in the space. I expect great things to come,” Patarnello said in a recent press release.
Now serving as Flow’s executive chairman, Reichenbach is ever confident Flow will deliver lasting benefits to consumers, investors and the environment.
“From the refreshing smooth taste of our water to how we package it – and all the way through to the recycling programs that create new products from our packs, we strive to have a positive impact,” he says. “Our brand really embodies the mantra of ‘better for you, better for the planet.’ After all, water is life and connects us to everything and everyone we hold dear.”
To learn more, visit flowESG.com.
This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications, in partnership with The Globe and Mail’s advertising department. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved in its creation.