LOS ANGELES, Calif.
QTrade Teas & Herbs this week acquired Kopius Teas, a leading e-commerce provider of bulk teas for retail businesses.
The two companies have worked closely since 2008 with Kopius Teas exclusively manufacturing, packaging, and marketing specialty teas for start up enterprises. QTrade focused on the larger food service and branded segments with formulation, blending, and packaging contracts for high volume bulk teas.
As the North American tea industry has continued to grow, the needs of both segments are converging with shared expectations of high quality product, timely market data, educational materials, supply chain transparency, and access to vendor-managed inventories.
“We felt this was the right time to acquire Kopius Teas and offer a unified web platform for all established and aspiring tea businesses in the U.S. and Canada,” said Manjiv Jayakumar, QTrade’s President.
Ronald Eng, who headed Kopius, was named Vice President, E-commerce.
Eng will also take a leadership role in developing educational programs and providing strategic guidance.
“I am looking forward to immediately expanding our product line,” said Eng. “E-commerce combined with highly accessible, educational materials will fuel the growth of QTrade by making its expertise accessible for its business partners worldwide.”