Garrett Waggoner and Andy Gay are running a very successful hydration delivery system that is catching on across the country. The Tampa company has more than 200 employees and is still growing. Photos from Cirkul
A Dartmouth College student had some trouble getting powdered electrolyte-enhanced flavor into the small water bottle he had on campus. So, he and his buddy hatched up a better plan.
They developed a drink system that uses an “innovative hydration system” with flavor cartridges.
Their Cirkul water bottle and flavor company, located in Tampa, has taken off like a rocket. The two – co-founders Garrett Waggoner and Andy Gay – have hired more than 200 employees, most in the last six months. They have no plans to slow down, Waggoner said.
“We started working on ways to make the process easier, cleaner, more affordable and more convenient,” he said. “As we did more research and learned how many people struggle to stay hydrated, we knew there was a huge opportunity to be a solution to the problem.”
The hydration system takes enough flavor for six water bottles and puts it into one cartridge. “Our consumers upgrade their water with a choice of over 40 flavors,” Wagoner said.
There is a dial that allows people to increase or decrease the amount of flavor going into their water.
“The enthusiasm we’re seeing from customers who love the efficiency of our technology, the way it enables them to personalize their beverage, and the wide range of delicious flavors we offer, has been incredible.”
Waggoner said the company’s customer base is anyone from parents trying to ween their kids off of sugary juices to those trying to kick sugary soda or just people who don’t enjoy the taste of plain water.