Naked Juice co-creator acquires a new firm, says he loves building a winner




David Bleeden

David Bleeden


By Michael Picarella
Acorn Staff Writer

Trapped in the addictive and destructive world of drugs for some years in his youth, Calabasas resident David Bleeden, 42, found a new high four years after co-creating Naked Juice in January 1984.


Following the sale of Naked Juice in 1988, Bleeden was riding in a car to a drug rehabilitation center when a Naked Juice truck pulled up alongside him. A rush ran through him as he realized that he’d created something. Naked Juice, which got its name because Bleeden and his business partner often sunbathed naked, was the first of many business ventures involving Bleeden.


"I found that most successful people are also the people who have had the most failure," Bleeden said. "I’ve had a lot of failure, but I’ve gotten up and tried again."


Bleeden’s drug addiction had him headed in the wrong direction. But he straightened up, turned himself around, and aimed for success, he said.


"Your priorities change as you get older," Bleeden said. "As exciting and fun as drugs and alcohol were back then, you find new things that are fun and exciting." The world of business replaced Bleeden’s drug addiction, he said.


In the early 1980s, Bleeden studied philosophy at UC San Diego. But his real interest was in music. After college, Bleeden played guitar in a band. To survive, he and another band member, Jimmy Rosenberg, came up with the idea for Naked Juice.


"We started the juice company as a way to earn money while we played in the band," Bleeden said.


According to Bleeden’s public relations representative, Maris Somerville, "They conceived the idea (for Naked Juice) after Jimmy’s father saw an ad in the Wall Street Journal for a Juice King machine. After making the rounds to local coffee and donut shops, they found that there was a market for fresh juice and they set up shop in back of the Chipper Wish Hoagie Shop in Venice, Calif.


"Rising at 3 a.m. every morning," Somerville said, "they bought oranges from the produce mart and fed them to the juicer that splattered its operators with orange oil."


Demand for Naked Juice grew. Gelson’s Market was the first big customer, and Chiquita eventually bought the juice company in 1988.


More recently, Bleeden’s investment company (called Strathmore––it invests in a variety of Internet businesses and consumer products) purchased Amco Cellular. Bleeden changed the name to Wildcat Cellular.


Wildcat Cellular sells mobile communication products and accessories, everything from data cables and batteries to chargers and headsets and other cellular products.


"I’m very excited about this Wildcat communications group," Bleeden said. "It’s a $7 billion business, but there’s no clear leadership. And there’s no real branding out there. As a consumer, if you need these kinds of products, there’s no real brand leader out there to go to."


Like seeing a Naked Juice truck on the street, Bleeden was energized by the challenge of making Wildcat products a household name. He said he’s already made arrangements with major retailers.


Bleeden knows about bringing products to the masses.


Additionally, in the late 1990s until now, Bleeden was instrumental in taking a heavy-duty computer product company, Rhinotek Consumer Products, and boosting its sales from $25 million to $45 million in six years. He brought Rhinotek’s products to retailers like Costco, Office Max, Staples, Office Depot, Amazon.com and others. Breeden was vice president of the company’s business development in 1997 and later became president of the company’s consumer products.


Expect to see more about Bleeden in the immediate future. He anticipates that Wildcat products will be everywhere in about 12 months, he said.


"The goal is ubiquitous availability," Bleeden said. "That means, wherever you need a product, you’ll find a Wildcat choice."


Bleeden was heading toward destruction as a youngster, but instead became an entrepreneur.


"I am a builder," Bleeden said. "It’s what I like to do, and it’s what excites me."


He added, "There’s business people out there who are operators or cost cutters, but for me, the real excitement is in building something from nothing."


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