While there are many energy drinks and specialty beverage suppliers providing product in the market, there is still a great deal of room for new business. Most importantly, there is room for new business that understands the need for high-quality service and sales support - in addition to next generation products at competitive prices. EPIC has clearly defined ourselves by offering total energy drink solutions at largely discounted prices compared to that of leading brands. Coffee is the second largest commodity market next to oil. The specialty beverage industry, which includes energy drinks, is growing at an equally strong pace, with sales growth projected to grow at rates as high as 40% per year.  Moreover, consumers age 18-34 years old prefer energy drinks over coffee; strengthening the fact of continued future growth for the energy drink market.

Energy drink growth offers excellent opportunities for new energy drink companies or lines of products to enter the market, and we are excited about the possibilities of what EPIC can accomplish within this growing market.  Studies show that Millennials are not brand loyal; which again gives new brands growth potential. As the first generation of energy drinkers begin their early 30’s, and the energy drink segment becoming increasingly aware of ingredients and their effects, EPIC has created energy drink 2.0 and alleviated the trending negative characteristics of first-generation energy beverages. EPIC will offer energy flavors that are not only FDA compliant but also next generation drinks with less sugar, less carbonation, more all-natural sweeteners, and no harmful artificial sweeteners in the sugar free versions.

EPIC has seen over 36 months of profitable business results with the current energy brand we market and distribute. Our gross sales with this brand have topped $300,000 annually with no marketing in place.  That being said, we will be replacing this brand with EPIC Energy Drinks and have immediate distribution in over 2,000 on- and off-premise locations as we already have a contract to distribute EPIC Energy Drinks with one of the largest distributors in central Oklahoma.  With our high quality, detailed sales training coupled with bonus incentives offered to our distributors' sales staffs, we'll see immediate success in product placement. Those factors combined with our innovative marketing plan make for a largely successful energy brand.

Our teams, in parallel with our distributors, initially penetrate the bars, nightclubs, and restaurants of a given market through strategically planned promotional events designed to parallel product awareness and branding with product consumption and sales.  This technique has proven to succeed in every market we have engaged. Since we are already in these places with our current brand and are keeping with the same flavor profile as that brand, our promotional teams will merely sample the EPIC brand of drinks to those already familiar with us.  EPIC offers a total energy drink solution in that we are innovative in our formulation by lessening and replacing the amount of sugar in these drinks with all-natural sweeteners, lowering the carbonation, and getting away from negative characteristics of first generation energy beverages such as artificial sweeteners like aspartame.  Lastly, with flavors that are appealing, our pricing is up to 40% lower than other leading brands giving consumers a better product with a better taste at a better price.  

 

Trisha E. Barnes – President

Mrs. Barnes is the President for EPIC, and is responsible for the advancement of all EPIC’s business development and innovative expansion.  She works concurrently with other executives to ensure EPIC is always mitigating costs, maximizing utility, and generating profits.  Mrs. Barnes is also responsible for overseeing the financial activities for the entire company, as well as overseeing the policies, procedures, and processes to ensure EPIC has a sound financial accounting structure.  Mrs. Barnes possesses many years of experience in accounting, business operations, and retail sales.  She began this experience from a family owned vending company as a teenager; prior to dissolving in 2002 this company was one of the largest vending services in the State of Oklahoma.  She gained extensive experience by learning how to manage the day-to-day operations, weekly and monthly sales, forecasting, accounting, logistics, and warehouse operations.  Mrs. Barnes studied accounting and business at the University of Central Oklahoma, and she then put that education and experience in motion when she opened Strictly $1; which was a discount retail store in Oklahoma City competing with national stores such as Wal-Mart and Dollar General.  She has been responsible for promotions, accounting, sales training, and administrative operations as the Oklahoma Operator for our current energy drink brand since March of 2010.

J. Chris Barnes – Chief Operations Officer

Mr. Barnes is the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for EPIC, and is responsible for all aspects of operations, including facilitating growth, sales and the company’s marketing strategy.  Mr. Barnes’ main objectives are revenue generation, cost reduction, and risk mitigation.  He has over 15 years experience in business operations.  Mr. Barnes began his business ownership experience upon opening a satellite office for a regional lender in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1997. He then founded Nationwide Capital Corporation in 2004 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  Nationwide Capital was a full service lender of mortgage loans, arranged investment capital for start-up businesses, as well as promoted and secured insurance products for clients.  Mr. Barnes entered the financial industry immediately after graduating from Oklahoma Panhandle State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine with a minor in Business. He has accumulated his more than 15 years of experience in many areas of business, such as budget and cost controls, financial analysis, marketing, sales, underwriting, and training. He has been responsible for the sales, sales trainings, marketing, warehouse, and the distribution operations as the Oklahoma Operator for our current energy drink brand since March of 2010.