Nestle ownership spells growth for Tampa firm

A Tampa supplier of beverages to the food-service industry is reaping the benefits of new ownership.

Nestle bought Tampa's Vitality Foodservice Inc. in November, making its office in downtown's Colonial Bank tower the headquarters for a division of the Swiss food giant: Nestle Professional Vitality Beverage Solutions.

Marc Caira, chief executive officer of Nestle's food-service division, met staff and touted expansion plans during a visit Tuesday. The company already has hired 20 people in Tampa and plans to add more as it strives to triple revenue during the next five years, he said.

"Every time Nestle makes an acquisition, it's with the intention of growing the business," Caira said. "We don't buy businesses to sell them off."

Vitality was formed in the 1950s, and in 1999 it bought the former Lykes Bros. juice operation, part of a Tampa-based conglomerate dating to the 1870s. When Nestle bought Vitality, it had grown to a company that did $230 million a year in custom beverage sales.

Vitality may not be a household name like Nestle, but its products have a major presence in North America. Its products are found in hotels, nursing homes, cruise ships and cafeterias.

It works with wholesale giant Sysco and has licensing agreements with Tetley tea and juice companies Ocean Spray and Sunkist, a former Lykes Bros. label. Well-known Nestle Professional food brands include Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine.

The acquisition created Nestle Professional Vitality Beverage Solutions. The company has 700 employees, with 100 based in Tampa, and works throughout North America.

It already had a presence in the beverage industry but wanted to expand that. Caria said he had been watching Vitality for years. Nestle targeted the company because of its beverage-service strength.

Gary Viljoen, who transitioned from Vitality to vice president and general manager of the Nestle beverage division, heads the Tampa office and said he was excited about the changes. "This is good news for Tampa," he said.

The recession has affected the food-service division as more people pack lunches and cut back on vacations. But Caira said the company is seeing improvements and is prepared to "weather the storm."

"When you look at this industry, you can't chase the trends," Caira said. "You will continue to have households that are busy, with both spouses working, and people continue to move from rural to suburban areas."