Industry News

Shark drink swims into U.S. market via Buffalo

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 25 February, 2008 : - - Shark Energy Drink has built a large presence around the world, but isn’t well known in the United States. That could change, thanks to a Buffalo businessman with an affinity and ambition for the drink. Moe Boukadida struck a deal to be the U.S. distributor for Shark and has set up its corporate offices, under the name Shark USA, on William Street in Buffalo, west of Bailey Avenue. It has about 15 employees.

Shark is produced in Thailand and is owned by a conglomerate called Osotspa, which is based in Japan. While the energy drink market has exploded in the United States in recent years, Shark has been around since 1965. Boukadida said he has been president of For-tuna Enterprises, a liquidation company, in Buffalo for about six years. The North Africa native said he was overseas on a business trip about a year and a half ago when he came across Shark.

“I’d never seen it in the U.S.,” he said. Boukadida said he was intrigued and started working on becoming a distributor to step up the product’s presence in North America. Shark has come to Buffalo. West Seneca-based Certo Brothers is serving as distributor for Shark, and the 8.4-ounce cans have just started appearing in Wilson Farms convenience stores.

Paul Nanula, Wilson Farms’ chief executive officer, said it was too early to tell how the product is being received. But he said he felt it represented something different in the energy drink market. “We think they have a nice niche opportunity,” he said.

Read the full article by Matt Glynn

www.sharkusa.com

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Source: The Buffalo News

Industry - Surfersvillage