Susan Gordon, Business Reporter

The Wisynco Group, whose aggressive marketing and distribution strategy helped make Jamaica, per capita, the market leader for Ocean Spray's cranberry juices, has added the Ocean Spray brand to its own line of purified water.

The product, Ocean Spray WATA, has been soft launched and is already on some shelves here, but Wisynco's boss, William Mahfood said that a formal roll-out will take place in December.

It is expected that the range of cranberry-flavoured water will be distributed in other Caribbean Community markets early in 2009.

"We hope to launch in three or four Caribbean markets next year," Mahfood said.

Wisynco, a former industrial conglomerate, still makes a range of disposable utensils and plastic- based products. But in recent years, the privately-held, family-owned company has become more widely recognised for its production and distribution of beverages, including its WATA brand of purified water.

Fruit-flavoured water

Over the past year or so, a range of fruit-flavoured water has hit the market. And now Mahfood is hoping that by bringing the Ocean Spray to its label, he can replicate for WATA the success he had with the American company's cranberry juices and related products.

Three years ago Cranberry acknowledged that, on a per capita basis, it sold more juice in Jamaica than most places in the world and hailed Wisynco for the effort.

Wisynco has marketed Ocean Spray products for 13 years, manufacturing the cranberry-flavoured juices under licence. Wisynco also manufactures Cocoa Cola soft drinks.

Under a new licensing agreement the specifics of which Mahfood declined to disclose, Wisynso will produce the cranberry-flavoured water that will be co-branded with Ocean Spray.

"It's potentially the biggest brand ever to come out of Jamaica," Mahfood told the Financial Gleaner.

He estimated that production could be a million cases a year by 2010. WATA, by Wisynco's calculation, already controls over 60 per cent of the Jamaican market for bottled water.

"I am thrilled to have this contract and the project in motion," Mahfood said. "The potential for this product in Jamaica and beyond is outstanding."

Wisynco recently completed a US$5 million expansion of its beverage line facilities.

However, Mahfood said the company was considering the possibility of production outside Jamaica, including in places that would make it easier to penetrate the South American market.

susan.gordon@gleanerjm.com