Made in Arizona: For Alkaline Water Company's alkaline88, it's taste, size, and branding

In the Valley, there's plenty of places to get drinking water, ranging from the tap, the fridge, or the grocery store.

One local company, however, wants people to know how they do water.

"Everything we do is being driven by demand," said Ricky Wright, CEO of Alkaline Water Company.

Wright says their alkaline88 water is better than the rest.

"To me, when you're putting something in the consumer's mouth, it's always got to be great-tasting," said Wright. "Always, because you may only get one shot."

The alkaline in water refers to its pH level, which measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is. Proponents say alkaline water can neutralize acidity in the body caused by stress, diet, and more.

The pH level in alkaline88 is, perhaps unsurprisingly, at 8.8.

"We use an ionized process, and lo and behold, we came up with this great tasting water," said Wright.

The purified water is enhanced with pink Himalayan rock salt and electrolytes, which is said to enhance the texture, allowing the water to go down smooth.

Wright moved to Arizona in the late 1980s, and worked in the restaurant business. He helped create the product in 2012. An entrepreneur by nature, knows what it takes to stand out.

"I didn't want people to guess that they were buying alkaline water," said Wright.

For alkaline88, it's taste, size, and branding.

"We've sold $200 million worth at the retail level of our alkaline water, without a dollar of traditional advertising," said Wright. "We've had people that have grabbed a bottle and turned to their friend and said 'this is really good.'"

Since its start, the Alkaline Water Company has reached 70,000 retail stores nationwide. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, their business is still growing. With more people focusing on wellness, CBD-infused waters and topicals are selling quick.

For a business that started with three people, there's now no sign of the company, which now has a team of 31, slowing down any time soon.

"We're the fastest-growing alkaline water company in the country again, and we're kind of double our competitors right now, and it's a good place to be," said Wright.

Online: https://thealkalinewaterco.com

If you have an idea about a product made in Arizona, you can send an e-mail to madeinarizona@foxtv.com.

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