ATLANTA, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — StarWalker Industries, Inc. (SWI) today announced it is seeking $4.6 million to build the first Black-owned, closed-loop bottled water plant in the United States. The company kicks off its equity crowdfunding campaign for the public today on Wefunder.
SWI is a bottled water distribution, manufacturing and recycling company that has packaged and sold its emerging brands, Positivity Alkaline Water and Integrity purified and spring waters, nationally since 2014. Now, the company is building a unique, state-of-the-art bottled water production, with a paid bottle return recycling system, in the heart of Atlanta. Partnering with world-renowned engineers, the plant will produce 32 million, 3 liter, 100 percent recyclable bottles a year. The capacity will be enough to service more than 200,000 Atlanta households annually.
SWI is tapping into a burgeoning industry at a time when health and environmentally conscious consumers are accelerating the bottled water market. According to recent Grand View Research, the market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 11.1 percent globally from 2021 to 2028. Terms of the StarWalker investment can be found on its Wefunder page. SWI’s Founder and CEO David M. Walker, Esq. hopes African Americans will take advantage of this opportunity as an investment for themselves, families and communities.
“Black people spend more than $800 million annually on bottled water but don’t have a seat at the table,” said Walker. “Not only do we want to create an opportunity for the community to take ownership in our company, we also want to take ownership of producing and recycling bottled water locally to reduce the environmental impact of waste which traditionally affects Black neighborhoods and our people at disproportionate rates.”
Walker’s vision of African Americans building and owning their own water plant and recycling at the same facility is an inspiration that came to him six years ago, when he first visited a bottled water plant. He looked at current plants and knew efficiencies were necessary to help communities produce and sell their water locally.
“Ever since I walked into that first plant, I have been on a mission to build an efficient production and recycling facility for Black communities. Now, I want to invite the public to take the journey with me.”
StarWalker Industries’ “micro” bottling plant will require only a small 50,000 square foot footprint, which creates an easy model to expand and build in metropolitan areas across the nation.
Walker plans to build more plants in the U.S., including Flint, Mich., near his hometown, Detroit, shortly after the completion of the Atlanta site.
Community Benefits
While African Americans make up 14 percent of the total U.S. population, they spend upwards of $810 million annually on bottled water – which equates to 15 percent of the overall market share, according to Nielsen. Walker wants to ensure African Americans can also benefit financially from that expenditure by taking ownership stake in the company which is primed for tremendous growth.
Last year, famed music producer, real estate investor and “The Breakfast Club” co-host/media personality DJ Envy was gifted an investment in SWI’s Positivity Alkaline Water by his wife Gia Casey. Less than a year later, DJ Envy lends his voice in support of StarWalker’s mission to build its first plant.
“I’m inspired by David’s vision for creating space for Black people to gain ownership in the bottled water industry,” said DJ Envy. “We share a collective desire to empower our community not only through education, but by breaking down the barriers that prevent us from creating wealth.”
Consumers interested in learning more about StarWalker Industries, and view the investor summary, can visit invest.starwalkerindustries.com.
About StarWalker Industries
Atlanta-based StarWalker Industries (SWI) is a bottled water distribution, manufacturing and recycling company. Its brands Positivity Alkaline Water®, and Integrity® purified and spring water are sold nationwide. Positivity Alkaline Water is available in CitiTrends locations across the U.S., as well as in Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. To date, SWI has sold over 500,000 cases of water. Its mission is to change the way people think about bottled water. For more information and to order Positivity or Integrity, please visit https://starwalkerindustries.com.
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SOURCE StarWalker Industries