Giant Eagle Supermarkets Inc.'s 3-year-old experiment in operating its own plant to bottle water and iced teas will come to an end Friday when the company closes its Latrobe bottling facility. Talks are progressing with a possible buyer.
The Chestnut Ridge Beverage Co. is closing the former LeNature's Inc. bottling plant to cut costs, Giant Eagle said in a statement. Giant Eagle is the minority owner in Chestnut Ridge, with the other unidentified investors.
"As the beverage industry continues to evolve, the company has needed to meet a number of challenges, some of which were unexpected," Rob Borella, senior director of marketing, said in a statement.
The company did not say whether the closing was related to a lack of sales of Chestnut Ridge-produced bottled water and teas in Giant Eagle supermarkets, or if it was unable to sell its beverages to outlets other than the Giant Eagle family of grocery and convenience stores.
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