|
|
June 29, 2001/Tamuz 8, 5761, Vol. 53, No.39
Euphoria water to flow in Phoenix
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Dovy Ainsworth always wanted to give back to his community.
After graduating from Yeshiva Tomchei Tomimim, a Rabbinical College in New Haven, Conn., in 1998, he moved back to his home state of Florida. He then decided, along with his childhood friend, Zalman Lipskar, to start an entrepreneurial venture into the bottled water industry, with a unique twist. They wanted to partner their company with nonprofit charities across the country to raise money and awareness for these organizations.
Euphoria Water Company was started 18 months ago and the product is currently being launched in the Phoenix area. Currently, proceeds from each bottle benefit the City of Hope Cancer Center. Each bottle displays the City of Hope logo and its mission statement. Ainsworth says that Euphoria has long-range plans to assist City of Hope.
"It's not just a short promotion where we give money to charity, but it's a long-term partnership where we partner with (City of Hope) for many, many years and help them through their funding and awareness efforts."
Ainsworth, 24, says he and Lipskar chose bottled water as the featured product because it has the fastest growing sales of any beverage in the United States. According to Ainsworth, bottled water sales grow 10 percent annually, compared with 2 percent for carbonated beverages.
"It's a booming market and it's not influenced by trends or flavors or packaging," he says.
Although Euphoria is based in Miami, the company chose Phoenix as its launch city. Plans are to expand to other western states including Nevada, Colorado and Southern California. In order to oversee local sales and marketing efforts, Ainsworth moved to the Valley three months ago.
He grew up in Miami and has six siblings. He attributes his civic sense to his Jewish upbringing. His mother was one of 10 children from a large Hasidic family. He says his grandparents were Holocaust survivors who felt they needed to have many children to "continue the Jewish tradition."
Ainsworth studied at different rabbinical colleges all over the world - Melbourne, Australia; France; London; and Brooklyn, N.Y., and finished school three years ago in New Haven, Conn. He worked in marketing and advertising in Miami prior to starting Euphoria.
Ainsworth says he is currently looking for a local synagogue or Jewish organizations with which to become affiliated.
This summer the Euphoria Summer Tour will provide donations of cases of water to community or cancer nonprofit organizations, which can then sell the products to raise funds. To participate, contact info@euphoriawater.com.
Euphoria Natural Spring Water is available at A.J.'s Fine Foods, Basha's, Albertson's, Food City, Safeway and IGA.
|
