In 1996, a young man from Pittsburgh met a business man from France in New York City. The Frenchman, a representative of a spring in Bordeaux, asked the young man if he would be interested in selling a brand for the spring in New York City. Excited by the business, the young man took the opportunity. With a map of New York City and a bottle of water he hit the street promoting his new brand label.
A few days before Christmas, 1997, the young salesman making his regular sales calls came across the famed Grace’s Market Place on the upper East Side. When the owner approached the salesman he asked, "Why sell Evian when you can sell yourself?" Showing a bottle of water with the label replaced with a Grace’s Market business card as an example.
Having confidence that private label was possible on this scale, the opportunistic salesman went to work. Knowing that he had a new niche he started his own business. By the end of 1998 he had an impressive client list: Bloomingdales, NY Health & Racquet Ball Club, Devon & Blakley, Burke & Burke and Dean & Deluca were just a few.
Today that salesman, Tom Patterson, the founder of thewaterpeople.net, still does much of the same. Helping new and old businesses market their business on cool refreshing bottles of spring water from around the world. The business has expanded to clients across the country. He also uses his experience to help other entrepreneurs get started in their journey of starting their own businesses.