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Avail Vapor takes first foray into contract manufacturing

Posted at 10:13 AM, Aug 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-11 11:24:42-04

RICHMOND, Va. — After four years making its own brand of flavored e-cigarette liquid to sell in its fast-growing retail chain, a Chesterfield-based company has added a tangent to its business model.

Avail Vapor has struck a deal to produce and distribute products for Charlie’s Chalk Dust, a California-based manufacturer. It’s Avail’s first foray into contract manufacturing and marks the first time non-Avail brand liquid will be sold in its 102 retail stores, co-founder Cole Smith said.

“We started a conversation with (Charlie’s) and found we were like-minded in our principles in terms of quality. We fit the bill with them, and they had production limitations,” Smith said.

Six of Charlie’s flavors will be produced by Avail in 60-milliliter bottles, including “Peach Papaya Coconut Cream” and “Mango Pitaya Pineapple.”

Charlie’s Chalk Dust products will hit Avail’s shelves next week, and Smith said more brands soon might join them.

“Charlie’s is going to be in all 102 stores, and we have a regional company that will be going into all of our Virginia stores in the next 45 days. We’re in talks with about three to six companies right now,” Smith said.

This stems from a slight shift in Avail’s model earlier in 2017. After starting as a small retail shop in Carytown in 2013, the company was once on pace to open 30 stores annually. Smith said it is putting resources elsewhere now, namely on production work akin to the Charlie’s deal.

Continue reading on RichmondBizSense.com.

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