Craft Ice Maker Lux Ice Appoints F&B Veteran Crouse as CEO
Craft ice manufacturer Lux Ice USA has appointed food and beverage industry veteran Michael Crouse as chief executive officer. Crouse joins Lux Ice with over 30 years of commercial and general management experience in both the retail and foodservice sectors in North America. His previous roles included president of US Foodservice at Kraft Heinz and VP/GM of US Supermarkets at the Frito Lay division of PepsiCo. Most recently, he was the head of US prepared foodservice at Tyson Foods.
“We are very excited to have a leader of Michael’s caliber join Lux Ice to lead us in the next chapter of our growth story,” said Shawn Kilcoyne, founder & chairman at Lux. “As we expand our premium craft ice business from retail into restaurants and across other foodservice channels, Michael is ideally suited to rapidly build our distribution and customer partnerships.”
Lux Ice managing partner Mark Rogers adds, “Michael embraces our core values and has quickly demonstrated a passion for our vision to elevate every beverage experience, and to be a company that positively impacts our community.”
“I am thrilled to join the team at Lux Ice USA,” said Crouse. “It’s incredible how far the company has come in such a short period of time, and I’m honored to work with such a talented and diverse group of team members that we have here at Lux.”
Lux Ice USA a leader in the fast-growing craft ice industry, was founded in 2020 by Kilcoyne. Elevating beverage experiences with slow-melting, crystal clear ice spheres, Lux Ice USA is available at leading retailers, restaurants and other foodservice locations nationwide. Through its core values of trust, agility and ownership, Lux Ice strives to be the “coolest” place to work and engage in its communities to support long-term self-sustaining employment.
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Capri Sun Issues Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink Packs
ack-to-school season is upon us and parents are in the midst of never-ending to-do lists. From school supply shopping and endless forms, to sports practices and meet the teacher nights, parents often spend the only moments they have to themselves trying to keep up with the never-ending demands. With 66 percent of parents reporting being burned out, Capri Sun Juice Drink wants to give parents a much-needed break by introducing Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink packs, which offer parents 50 seconds of calm, in partnership with Taskrabbit.
In order to truly enjoy their 50 seconds of calm, Capri Sun Juice Drink teamed up with Taskrabbit to give parents the luxury of delegation, with recipients receiving a $100 Taskrabbit credit to outsource their responsibilities to a skilled Tasker in their area. Parents can enjoy a bit more “me time” knowing that their back-to-school to-do list is being taken care of. From cleaning to home repairs and yard work, parents can outsource household tasks to Taskrabbit and revel in silence.
“At Capri Sun, we know that back-to-school season is a hectic time and our goal through launching the Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink is to show our appreciation for parents by providing them 50 seconds of calm,” said Samantha Mills, associate director, brand communications. “When parents buy these new juice packs, they are buying themselves some much needed peace and quiet. Our partnership with Taskrabbit is a strategic effort to give parents what they really need – time to themselves without worry.”
Capri Sun’s Kid Noise-Canceling Juice Drink packs are available on noisecancelingjuicedrink.com with no purchase necessary. The giveaway includes 2 pouches per box and a $100 Taskrabbit credit that can be used toward hourly service rates on the platform, while supplies last.
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BuzzBallz Ready-to-Drink Cocktails Goes on the Road
BuzzBallz is on the road, stopping in 11 cities for 11 installations of the USA Today Wine & Food Experience. From Aug. 12-Nov. 4, BuzzBallz ready-to-drink cocktails will be sponsoring every event on the tour.
The USA Today Wine & Food Experience will feature a plethora of local cuisine from new and established chefs, as well as wine, beer, and spirits from multiple vendors. BuzzBallz will be hosting tastings of their cocktails at each event.
BuzzBallz Trade and Shopper Marketing Manager Yashika Maru, said she is excited to have BuzzBallz present in all 11 stops of the tour with a variety of flavors to offer samples of.
“This incredible opportunity will help create brand awareness with a new set of audiences that enjoy wining and dining,” Maru said.
Aside from food and beverage tastings, each event will feature live demonstrations and music for an overall immersive experience, all within the span of an afternoon.
This sponsorship run comes timely for BuzzBallz, with its 2023 sponsorship of Seltzerland, which ended in July. Along with this tour, BuzzBallz will be sponsoring a handful of country music festivals and local beverage-based experiences throughout the remainder of the year.
BuzzBallz Trade and Events Marketing Manager Cori Culbertson said she has enjoyed sponsoring events with multiple stops.
“I love doing all kinds of events, but it’s especially fun when we get to sort of follow an event from city to city,” Culbertson said. “We can get more acquainted with the vision of the event and more accustomed to the types of consumers we’ll be interacting with, which just makes for better connections and more fun!”
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