Bravo! Foods International Corp. will expand operations into Canada. Beverage veteran Jeffrey Pencer has joined Bravo! to lead its new Canadian division which is expected to be operational this fall for the "back to school" time frame.

Bravo! CEO Roy Warren said, "Recent marketing initiatives have resulted in a number of inquiries from retailers and distributors who are anxious to carry our Slammers brands in Canada, where importing from the U.S. is relatively inefficient and costly. We are pleased to have signed established beverage industry veteran Jeffrey Pencer to develop the necessary co-packing and development of operations for Bravo! in the region."

According to industry sources, Canadian sales of single-serve milk products are approximately 15% of those in the U.S., with relatively fewer brands and participants than the U.S., providing a unique opportunity for large-scale distribution and brand awareness for Bravo!'s Slammers in the Canadian marketplace.

New Bravo! director of Canadian operations Jeffrey Pencer has extensive experience in the Canadian beverage industry and is a former national sales manager at Cott Beverage, one of Canada's best-known carbonated beverage companies. Pencer will utilize his network of contacts and industry expertise to establish operations and further grow Bravo! brands throughout Canada.

Warren continued, "Bravo is very pleased to have attracted Jeffrey due to his passion for the beverage business and his enthusiasm for this new generation of milk products that are processed and marketed to compete in the single-serve/immediate-consumption arena with the national exposure and brand positioning of Bravo!'s Slammers."