Sales, distribution growth spurs Rowdy Mermaid facility expansion

BOULDER — Local beverage manufacturer Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha Inc. has outgrown its existing Boulder headquarters, production and shipping facility and has moved into a new 29,000-square-foot space in the city. 

“It’s our first time having our own offices — we’re still getting used to it,” Rowdy Mermaid CEO Jamba Dunn told BizWest Tuesday. “But there’s a lot of action over here, and everyone is excited about it.”

The company’s new facility, which will allow the company to boost production 20-fold, is at 5311 Western Ave., adjacent to Vapor Distillery. 

Dunn said Rowdy Mermaid, which began in 2013 in a 1,400-square-foot space, has signed a long-term lease for the Western Avenue facility, but may have to seek larger a larger base of operations sooner rather than later. 

“With the rate we are growing, it is possible we will have to move again” in the next four or five years, he said. 

Rowdy Mermaid, which has expanded its distribution network from the Boulder area to 39 states and Mexico, has seen triple-digit sales growth in recent years. 

“We’ve broken out of being a regional player, and we have become a real national player,” Dunn said. 

The firm currently has 22 employees and plans to add more in the coming months, particularly in sales and marketing roles.

Rowdy Mermaid is sold at almost 1,000 retail stores, including Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, King Soopers and Walmart.

Dunn said he does not expect Rowdy Mermaid’s growth trajectory to flatten anytime soon.

“2020 is going to be really innovative and strategic year for us,” he said, adding that the company plans to debut a new product line at the upcoming Natural Products ExpoWest trade show. 

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