Hansen Acquires Blue Sky

CORONA, Calif.--On Sept. 21, Hansen Natural Corp. (Nasdaq:HANS) announced it had acquired Santa Fe, N.M.-based Blue Sky Natural Beverages. Under terms of the acquisition, Blue Sky operations will be consolidated with those at Corona, Calif.-based Hansen Beverage Co., and Blue Sky brands will be marketed separately under Hansen's product portfolio.

Hansen has mainly focused on products for mainstream outlets, but its acquisition of Blue Sky broadens its natural foods niche. "Blue Sky's strength [in the natural beverage market] together with our name will give consumers a broader range of natural products," said Rodney Sacks, president and chief executive officer of Hansen. "This solidifies our position [in that sector]."

A 20-year-old business, Blue Sky produces organic beverages and natural sodas supplemented with herbs such as ginseng and ginkgo biloba. The company had net sales of $6.4 million in the year ended Dec. 31, 1999; Hansen posted net sales of $72.3 million, also in 1999. Hansen bought Blue Sky for an undisclosed amount of cash.

"This is an opportunity for Hansen to leverage its 50-plus-year history to expand its product base and expand its market share," said Gary Maier at the Pondel/Wilkinson Group, Hansen's investor relations firm.

For more information about either company, visit www.hansens.com or www.blueskysoda.com.