Mike Repole (born January 21, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, businessman, and owner of Repole Stables, best known for co-founding
Glaceau
Energy Brands, also doing business as Glacéau, is a privately owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company based in Whitestone, Queens, New York, that manufactures and distributes various lines of drinks marketed as enhanced water. Founded in May 1 ...
(maker of
Vitaminwater
Energy Brands, also doing business as Glacéau, is a privately owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company based in Whitestone, Queens, New York, that manufactures and distributes various lines of drinks marketed as enhanced water. Founded in May ...
), which sold to
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
for $4.1 billion, and
BODYARMOR SuperDrink
BODYARMOR is an American sports drink brand fully owned by The Coca-Cola Company. Products launched under brand include: Sports, Lyte Sports, Edge Sports, and SportWater.
Mike Repole created the drink in 2011. In the summer of 2018, The Coca- ...
, a
sports drink
Sports drinks, also known as electrolyte drinks, are functional beverages whose stated purpose is to help Sportsperson, athletes replace water, electrolytes, and energy before, during and especially after training or competition. There are many ...
manufacturer, which also sold to Coca-Cola for $5.6 billion.
Personal life
Repole was born on January 21, 1969, in
Middle Village, Queens
Middle Village is a mainly residential neighborhood in the central section of the borough of Queens, New York City, bounded to the north by the Long Island Expressway, to the east by Woodhaven Boulevard, to the south by Cooper Avenue and the forme ...
, New York City, to mother Annie Repole, a
seamstress
A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician.
Nota ...
, and father Benny Repole, a waiter. Repole's parents, Italian immigrants, were devout
Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
.
He grew up in Middle Village, and attended
St. Margaret's Elementary and
Holy Cross High School. Repole, the first in his family to go to college, went to
St. John's University and graduated with a degree in Sports Administration.
Repole lives on Long Island with his wife Maria and their daughter.
Career
Repole first began his career at
Mistic Beverages. He later joined
Crystal Geyser
Crystal Geyser is located on the east bank of the Green River approximately downstream from Green River, Utah, United States. It is a rare example of a cold-water carbon dioxide driven geyser; geothermal activity does not play a role in th ...
as Vice President of Sales. In 1999, Repole co-founded, with
J. Darius Bikoff
John Darius Bikoff (born September 21, 1961) is an American entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Energy Brands.
Early life
He was born to an American father from Brooklyn and an Iranian Jewish mother. His father, William, was the owner of a real es ...
,
Energy Brands
Energy Brands, also doing business as Glacéau, is a privately owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company based in Whitestone, Queens, New York, that manufactures and distributes various lines of drinks marketed as enhanced water. Founded in May 1 ...
, commonly known as Glaceau, which produced Smartwater and Vitaminwater, and which was credited with launching the
enhanced water
Enhanced water is a category of beverages that are marketed as water with added ingredients, such as natural or artificial flavors, sugar, sweeteners, vitamins and minerals. Most enhanced waters are lower in calories than non-diet soft drinks.
...
beverage vertical.
The company grew quickly, netting $1 million in its first year, and growing to over $1 billion in sales by 2007, when it was the top-selling water brand in the US. In 2007, Coca-Cola bought the company for $4.1 billion.
In 2009, Repole joined
Pirate's Booty
Pirate's Booty is a puffed rice and corn snack food developed and produced in 1987 by Robert Ehrlich (businessman), Robert Ehrlich. B&G Foods acquired Robert's American Gourmet Food in June 2013.
Ehrlich would often watch people purchasing che ...
as
chairman of the board
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
. He helped the company grow 300% in less than five years. In 2013, Pirate Brands sold for $195 million to
B&G Foods
B&G Foods is an American branded foods holding company based in Parsippany, New Jersey. The company was formed in 1996 to acquire Bloch & Guggenheimer, a Manhattan-based producer of pickles, relish and condiments which had been founded in 1889.
...
.
In 2011, Repole co-founded BodyArmor Superdrink, a
sports drink
Sports drinks, also known as electrolyte drinks, are functional beverages whose stated purpose is to help Sportsperson, athletes replace water, electrolytes, and energy before, during and especially after training or competition. There are many ...
s company, with Lance Collins.
BodyArmor, usually stylized BODYARMOR, garnered media attention in 2014 when
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
, a professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player, invested $5 million for 10% of the company and became the company's creative director. Bryant was additionally the fourth largest stakeholder in the company, and Repole currently serves as Chairman of the company.
In August 2018, Coca-Cola became the second-largest stakeholder in BodyArmor in an attempt to further challenge rival
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
's hold, via its
Gatorade
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...
brand, on the sports
drink industry
The drink industry (or drinks industry, also known as the beverage industry) produces drinks, in particular ready to drink products. Drink production can vary greatly depending on the product being made. ManufacturingDrinks.com explains that "bott ...
.
According to
Nielsen data, BodyArmor is the third most purchased sports drink, with expected revenues of $400 million in 2018.
In November 2021, Coca-Cola announced they were purchasing the remaining 85% of the company for $5.6 billion.
In 2019, Repole co-starred in the
Barstool Sports
Barstool Sports is an American blog website and digital media company headquartered in New York City that produces content on sports and pop culture. Founded by David Portnoy in 2003 in Milton, Massachusetts, the company's two primary owners are ...
investment show “Big Brain,” where he served as a financial advisor to
David Portnoy
David Portnoy (born March 22, 1977) is an American internet celebrity, blogger, and founder of the sports and pop culture blog Barstool Sports.
Early life
Portnoy grew up in Swampscott, Massachusetts. He is Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah. ...
, alongside
Jon Taffer
Jonathan Peter Taffer (born November 7, 1954) is an American entrepreneur and television personality. He is best known for hosting the reality series ''Bar Rescue'' on Paramount Network and '' Face the Truth'' on CBS with Vivica A. Fox. He is als ...
.
Repole Stable
Repole became a
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
fan in his teenage years.
During his time at Glaceau, he became increasingly involved in horse racing and
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
ownership, and, after selling Glaceau, he opened Repole Stable. His most accomplished horse,
Uncle Mo
Uncle Mo (foaled March 10, 2008, in Kentucky) is an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse who went undefeated in his two-year-old season and was named the American Champion Two-Year-Old of 2010. However, his three-year-old season was disrupted ...
, was named the
American Champion Two-Year-Old in 2010, and is currently one of the most popular racehorse
sire
Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French.
The words "sire" a ...
s, having sired
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
winner
Nyquist, among others.
Repole's horse,
Vino Rosso
Vino Rosso (foaled March 29, 2015) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2019 Breeders' Cup Classic.
Racing career
Vino Rosso made his racing debut on November 11, 2017 with a win at Aqueduct Racetrack. He then won his second race ...
, won the
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October o ...
in 2019. The stables' other notable horses include Coach Inge,
Notacatbutallama,
Caixa Eletronica and multiple
Grade 1
First grade (also called Grade One, called ''Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade.
Examples by re ...
winner
Stay Thirsty.
His horse
Mo Donegal
Mo Donegal (foaled April 19, 2019) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 2022 Belmont Stakes horse race. The horse is owned by Donegal Racing and Repole Stable. Background
Mo Donegal is named for his sire the champion horse ...
was winner of the
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...
. Finishing in second place in the same race was his horse Nest.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Repole, Micheal
Living people
American food company founders
1969 births
St. John's University (New York City) alumni
American chief executives of food industry companies
American racehorse owners and breeders