Jones Soda Co promotes COO to lead cannabis beverage unit
Eric Chastain assumes the position of the newly-minted unit with immediate effect.
Jones Soda Co has transitioned its acting COO to a new role.
Twenty-year company veteran Eric Chastain will serve as president of the newly-minted Jones Soda Beverage Division. Chastain, who has held the COO post since 2014, begins his tenure immediately.
President of Jones Soda Co’s Jones Soda beverage division, Eric Chastain
The Seattle-based soft drinks brand owner said today that as part of his duties, Chastain will oversee the development of a dedicated cannabis beverage and edibles unit, first announced in July.
Details on who will succeed Chastain as COO were not immediately available.
“Our legacy craft soda business still has exceptional growth opportunities, because of the brand equity we have built over the last two decades,” Chastain said. “Creating this new division signals that the company remains committed to building its core soda business as it diversifies into the cannabis drinkable and edible space.”
CEO Mark Murray added: “With his long experience and deep knowledge of the brand, I am fully confident that our new division will thrive under [Chastain’s] leadership.”
Jones’ move into cannabis beverages began in 2019, when it offloaded 25% of its shares to US-based hemp group HeavenlyRx for US$9m.
