Nestlé exec pays visit to new division office in Tampa

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

Nestlé 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 - Nestlé Professional Vitality Beverage Solutions.

Marc Caira, chief executive officer of Nestlé's food service division, visited the company today to meet staff and tout expansion plans. The company already has hired 20 people in Tampa and plans to hire more, he said, as it strives to triple its revenue over the next five years.

"Every time Nestlé 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 Nestlé, but its products have a major presence in North American life. 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 the juice companies Ocean Spray and Sunkist, a former Lykes Bros. label.

The acquisition created Nestlé Professional Vitality Beverage Solutions. The company has 700 employees and works throughout North America. One hundred employees are based in Tampa.

Big Nestlé Professional food brands include Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine. 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 Nestlé beverage division, heads the Tampa office and said he's 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."