With a vast portfolio of widely recognized and well-loved drink brands, Sunny Sky Products is the one-stop shop for the US beverage manufacturing sector. We pour a cold brew with CCO, Manos Spanos.
SOFT DRINKS THAT SHINE BRIGHT
The North American soft drinks sector is currently experiencing a hive of activity, making it an exciting but challenging industry to compete in.
This is reflected by a recent flurry of fresh, innovative beverage formats, as the region’s consumers are more open to trying new drink experiences.
There has been a particular rise in Gen Z and Millennial customers, who are driving the emergence of unique soft beverage categories, including refresher drinks, craft sodas, bubble tea, and cold brews.
Customization services and made-to-order drinks categories are also making waves, evidenced by the trajectory of brands such as Dutch Bros, Ziggi’s Coffee, Scooter’s Coffee, 7 Brew, and the rise of CosMc’s in particular – a specialty beverage offshoot of McDonald’s that opened its doors in December 2023.
However, despite the industry’s steady recovery following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflationary pressures are significantly straining the market as consumers are reaching their upper limits of spending sensitivity.
Yet, the beverage sector is well-positioned to tackle these challenges with force.
“The beverage industry is primed for growth, as it provides experiences that attract younger generations and opens opportunities for more drink categories.
“However, competition is intense, so the attributes of agility, speed, great quality at a good price, and excellent customer service are key,” opens Manos Spanos, CCO of Sunny Sky Products (SSP), a leading provider of a vast range of tasty beverages.
“We strive to stay at the forefront of flavor and product innovation to meet all the beverage needs of our customers across the world”
Manos Spanos, CCO, Sunny Sky Products
ANY TIME, ANY PLACE
With a founding mission to have its beverages consumed and enjoyed at any time in any place, SSP prides itself on its commitment to creating, manufacturing, and delivering top-quality products and excellent customer service for its vast range of consumers.
“We strive to stay at the forefront of flavor and product innovation to meet all the beverage needs of our customers across the world,” Spanos highlights.
The company distinguishes itself from other US soft drinks providers due to its breadth of product offerings, which allows SSP to be a one-stop shop solution provider and cater to the needs of its foodservice, convenience (c-store), healthcare, and specialty business and industry (B&I) customers.
“Hot, cold, frozen, and flavor enhancers – we have it all. Ranging from coffee to juice, crafted carbonated soft drinks, smoothies and slushies, bar mixers, refreshers, soft serve ice cream, and everything in between,” he surmises.
“We aim to become captains for the categories that are important to our customers. We strive to be ‘the first call’ when a customer is looking to develop a category further and requires data, strategic thinking, ideas, and excellent execution,” Spanos enthuses.
SSP is further distinguished by the sheer expanse of its brand repertoire, comprising some of the most loved licensed brands, such as Hershey, Cinnabon, Jolly Rancher, and Sour Patch Kids, among others.
These are further complemented by the company’s in-house brands, including Tropics, Dr. Smoothie, UPOURIA®, Refraisia®, and El Niño Aguas Frescas®.
A whole host of convenience store chains across the US trust SSP with their business, as well as some world-famous foodservice organizations such as Dunkin’, Sandals Resorts, IHOP, and a plethora of other leading food and beverage titans.
Meanwhile, the company’s recent acquisitions allow it to create a comprehensive vertical integration model, operating six manufacturing facilities across the nation as well as multiple direct store distribution (DSD) routes in the southern areas of the US.
“Due to our vertical integration model, significant scale, and operational expertise, we believe we are able to command very high-quality products at an extremely competitive price point, fast innovation, and excellent customer service,” Spanos outlines.
“Due to our vertical integration model, significant scale, and operational expertise, we believe we are able to command very high-quality products at an extremely competitive price point, fast innovation, and excellent customer service”
Manos Spanos, CCO, Sunny Sky Products
BEST-IN-CLASS FACILITIES
In order to meet the demands of its vast brand portfolio, SSP’s six state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are strategically positioned to enable value-added capabilities such as hot and cold fill packaging, low-acid aseptic processing, and powder-based solutions.
The facilities also allow for better planning and servicing abilities as the vast majority of the company’s volume is produced in-house, striking an equal balance between quality and cost.
“The six facilities are one of the most important reasons why we win in the marketplace – being able to meet capacity with an excellent service quality footprint,” Spanos urges.
SSP’s success can also be attributed to its versatility in the industry.
In his role at the company, Spanos is able to combine his experience in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector – working for major multinational brands such as Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, and Danone – with the flexibility, speed, and low complexity of SSP.
“Working the best of both worlds can truly accelerate growth as you are able to deploy innovation faster, be very close to the customer, provide exceptional and speedy service, and maintain tight control of costs. These are the things that the company is known for and excels at,” he states.
INNOVATIVE SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS
SSP continuously works to upgrade its operational footprint, optimize its supply chain, and maximize its local sourcing.
For example, any milk products the company uses are sourced locally from farms in Pennsylvania, ensuring great quality and advancing the development of the local economy.
In line with SSP’s supply chain innovations, it recently shifted to working on single enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP S/4HANA, giving the company the ability to streamline its operations and work toward a set of concrete key performance indicators (KPIs).
SSP is also working on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into its ERP tech stack, facilitating a stronger supply and demand planning process, particularly when using the Salesforce Marketing Cloud – a highly recognized industry software.
“These solutions enable us to not only monitor our progress against our goals but maintain good communication channels with our customers, providing them with up-to-date news and fulfilling their needs,” Spanos tells us.
The company continues to enhance its ERP tech stack, simplifying and quickening the two-way communication between itself and customers.
COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE
SSP’s people are the secret ingredient to its success, as being a mid-market company with approximately 650 team members means it cultivates a family culture.
Each employee is valued and listened to and has the opportunity to provide ideas and feedback through a regular engagement survey.
“We are very proud of our engagement survey scores within our team, which have been the highest I have seen in my career,” Spanos prides.
Moreover, with the breadth of SSP’s locations and categories, the company provides its staff with continued opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
Looking ahead, the company is on an exciting trajectory, achieved by both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.
In fact, SSP has undergone two major acquisitions in the past two years, namely GoodWest Industries and Bevolution Group, which have been key in achieving the breadth of capabilities it enjoys today.
“Organic growth is now allowing us to reap the benefits and synergies of these transactions. We continue looking for new opportunities that will complement our portfolio and enhance our operational and sales footprint,” Spanos ends.
Going forward, numerous factors such as growth, innovation, speed, operational excellence, and great customer service will drive SSP’s growth and continued success in the soft drinks market.
