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Nearly five years ago, Brian Turner, a native of the Flint area, jumped into the fiercely competitive, mutlibillion-dollar energy drink market dominated by Red Bull and Monster Energy.
After experimenting and working with flavor companies and ingredient suppliers, Turner, who has an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan ('92), came up with a low-sugar, caffeniated beverage, Feel Natural Energy, which is available at Whole Foods, Busch's, Krogers and elsewhere. The beverage, which comes in four flavors, is available in five states besides Michigan.
At the start of 2015, Turner brought on Howard Dembs, a Detroit native and Michigan State University graduate ('77) with a marketing background, as a partner with the title of vice president and principal. The company is based in Royal Oak and the product is manufactured in the Midwest.
Dembs sat down in Deadline Detroit's downtown office to talk about a 12-ounce can that has 15 calories and four grams of sugar and why it's healtier than what the Goliaths in the industry produce.
His startup is looking for more investment capital to expand its reach nationally.
