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Calypso Lemonades Owner Acquires Mela Water

April 7, 2025

KJ Holding Corp., owner of Calypso, believes the marrying of lemonade brand consumers with that of the watermelon waters processor will lead to strong growth for both brands moving forward.

Andy Hanacek

The owner of Calypso Lemonades, KJ Holding Corp., has acquired Mela Water, adding a company that provides premium watermelon waters in the plant-based functional hydration category, according to a release.

Both brands are expected to benefit from the deal, with Mela taking advantage of Calypso’s expertise in growing its business platform and its national and international direct-store-delivery network. David Klavsons, CEO of Calypso, called Mela a great brand with strong consumer appeal that would be a strong complement to the Calypso product line due to its “exceptional taste, unique flavors, tropical vibe and functional hydration.”

Mela’s watermelon waters contain electrolytes and antioxidants in various flavors. It’s consumer base is expected to be incremental to Calypso, and the company believes the Mela products will appeal to current Calypso drinkers.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.