I couldn’t be more excited to become part of the Coca-Cola family and set our sights on the future.” If it wasn’t for Kobe Bryant’s vision and belief, Body Armor would not have been able to achieve the success we had.

“Our talented leadership team under Brent Hastie, our 400 dedicated employees and incredible Coca-Cola bottling partners have helped us build this remarkable brand. Repole added: “Ten years ago, we set out with a vision to create a better-for-you sports drink with a goal of becoming the number-one global sports drink. “We’re excited to bring Body Armor into the Coca-Cola Company and work with Mike Repole and his leadership team on the next stage of growth.”įounded by Mike Repole and Lance Collins in 2011, the brand received a publicity boost in 2013 when basketball star Kobe Bryant became a major shareholder. “Body Armor has been a great addition to the system line-up over the last three years, and the company has driven continuous innovation in hydration and health-and-wellness products,” said Alfredo Rivera, president of the North America operating unit of the Coca-Cola Company.

The executive leadership team, including co-founder and chairman Mike Repole and president Brent Hastie, agreed to stay on at the business as part of the deal to execute Body Armor’s 2022 plan into 2023 and beyond.īody Armor, which makes a range of electrolyte-replacement sports performance drinks, competes with PepsiCo’s Gatorade brand and is currently the category number-two drink in retail channels, growing at about 50% to drive more than $1.4bn in retail sales. The deal values Body Armor at about $8bn (£5.9bn).īody Armor will be managed as a separate business within Coca-Cola’s North America operating unit and continue to be based in New York. The Grocer New Product & Packaging Awardsįounded by Mike Repole and Lance Collins in 2011, the brand received a publicity boost in 2013 when basketball star Kobe Bryant became a major shareholderĬoca-Cola has taken full control of sports drinks group Body Armor for $5.6bn (£4.1bn) after identifying further “significant potential” for long-term growth.Ĭoke initially acquired a 15% stake in the business in 2018, with an agreement to acquire the remaining 85% at a later date, based on a pre-determined discount.Lumina Intelligence: UK Food & Drink Reports.

Body armour drink founder