Thursday, April 9, 2020

Rick Scoville aka The Texas Vagabond Reminisces About Artesia Waters, Inc. Days

Hyperlinks In Gold Below

Partake, Enjoy, Proceed

Uncle Ricky

The Texas Vagabond  (My Personal Blog)

Proud Vietnam Veteran



ARTESIA PRINT AD...COWGIRL!

ARTESIA PRINT AD...FLAG REFLECTION!


"Artesia Sparkling Mineral Water, In The Amber Bottle, Was The Water Of The White House & Air Force Two" during much of the Vice Presidency of George H. W. Bush which began in 1980 and ended in 1989 at which time his Presidency began at noon EST on January 20, 1989, when George H. W. Bush was inaugurated as the 41st President of the United States, and ended on January 20, 1993.  During his Presidency, "Artesia Sparkling Mineral Water, In The Amber Bottle, Was The Table Water Of The White House & Air Force One"!  Bush took it as the Table Water To ALL his Major Meetings Around The World!

1980-1994..
For those of you that do not remember, when I was the Owner/Founder of Artesia Waters, Inc., I was in the midst of transforming our packaging look and marketing/merchandising image with a crystal clear bottle with the "Scoville Family Code Of Arms" embossed on the neck of the bottle (see the image above).  This would have positioned the company into the Crème De La Crème/Elite Sparkling Waters Of The World. The brown/amber bottle was always a TOUGH sell, but somehow  "The Water Wizard", that be me, was able to overcome it with plausible counters!  However, there were some major grocery chains that never bought in!  The new bottles were *7 oz and 1 Liter with eight (8) flavors plus the Natural.  The problem was that our Mexican Glass Supplier (VOSA) never could get the one (1) liter to pass long-term stress tests and the bottoms fell out, sometimes while still in our warehouse.  Other times this took months, hence when the problem was recognized and properly identified, we had already changed over to the New Look.  VOSA simply walked away from the problem and the NIGHTMARE began!   
It was a BEAUTIFUL package and had I engaged another qualitative supplier, who knows where Artesia would be today?  My primary investor became a major thorn in my side and after that, the rest is history...options were exercised and lawsuits ensued.  

In June of 1994, I exercised an option that my Investor, Walter Mischer, Sr. offered me and I then left the company!  At that time we had a an extensive product line of Sparkling and Still Waters. The Still Water was also in Crystal Clear Odorless & Taste Free Plastic Bottles (even the Gallon Packages which were *STATE OF THE ART* at that time) and the Still Water packaging was the talk of the Trade!  After exercising My Option with Mischer, he immediately sold the company to a group of crooks, headed by my ex-controller.  In hind sight, I think it was a set up with Margaret Shodrock, my controller, conspiring with Mischer, Barney Randol, Cheryl Randol along with the UNETHICAL  guidance of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld   ALL behind my back!  
Just a FYI...I sued *pro se* and handled this matter myself and I got ALL THE WAY to The Texas Court of Appeals, Fourth District before which I argued ORALLY...Quite A Feat So I Am Told!  Sadly, I did not prevail, but what an experience!
Within five (5) years however, they ran the company into MAJOR DEBT and soon Artesia, as I knew it, was history and the new owners simply walked away in 1999 ruining the Artesia Brand and owing creditors over $500,000...a group of INGRATES/CROOKS with ZERO integrity!! The story is not important, but when I was there aka "The Water Wizard", Artesia was Qualitative and the Bottles were Beautiful & State of the Art.

Also, while I was there, Artesia was a Well Respected Brand Name!  The Company had widespread respect from ALL...to include suppliers, competitors, customers, the media, etc.!! The new owners quickly realized that the vendors and suppliers were dealing with me as a WELL RESPECTED, HONEST, & TRUSTWORTHY BUSINESSMAN!  It did not take long for them
to realize the NEW OWNERS were CROOKS!! 

*

Sparkling Natural

Plus Eight (8) Flavors...State Of The Art

Lemon

Lime

Orange

Raspberry (not in photo...broken bottle)

Cranberry

Cherry

Vanilla

Almond

In closing, it was a GREAT ride for fourteen (14) years and I traveled all over the United States hawking my wares, as well as Internationally, to include Japan as a guest of the Texas Department Of Commerce as a part of the "Taste Of Texas Program". When I left, Artesia was in eighteen (18) states and in every major grocery chain in those states. I crammed thirty (30) years into fourteen (14) and had a ball doing it!  I still have life long friends that I meant on this journey and thanks to "The MacDaddy", I have seen many of them during my adventure!  Dilly Dilly!
RICK HAWKING HIS WARES IN AVANT-GARDE STYLE WITH FREE PRESS IN THE '80'S

PARTAKE, ENJOY, PROCEED!


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Rick Scoville aka The Texas Vagabond Wishes ALL His Fellow Veterans A Happy Veteran's Day!

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