Meet Rommie Flammer

President and COO of China Mist Brands

by Kristine Hedlund

China Mist is unveiling a new product; can you reveal the secret?

Yes. We are preparing to launch our first ready-to-drink bottled tea, China Mist Pure. It is an all organic line of premium teas in a beautiful custom bottle. We will start distributing the new line in select markets in August 2008. The initial launch will consist of six teas: Dragonfruit Black tea, Blueberry Green tea, Lotus Pear Green tea, Orange Blossom Ginger white tea, Blackberry Jasmine Green tea with lemonade, and Tangerine Black tea with Pomegranate juice. The teas with pomegranate juice and lemonade are lightly sweetened at only 40 calories per serving and the other four are unsweetened.

How long have you been working on this new product?

We have researched and experimented with the idea for over 10 years, but had abandoned the project each time because we could never develop a product good enough to carry our name. As advances were made in the technology and equipment, the products have gotten much better. It was a little over a year ago when we caught the first glimpse of the ability to make our dream a reality. Since then we have worked feverishly to create, test and design packaging for the product that we are now so proud to have our name on. China Mist has been the signature iced tea and hot tea served in most foodservice locations nationwide since 1982.

What has inspired China Mist to break in to the retail market?

Well, the inspiration didn't really come from a desire to break into the retail market; it came from an opportunity we saw in the foodservice segment to offer a variety of tea types and flavors in bottles. We have been a foodservice company for 25 years and we remain true to that focus. While this product was designed with foodservice in mind, it does cross over to retail and is a perfect fit for both. We have accumulated thousands of letters and e-mails over the years from people who have enjoyed our tea in restaurants around the country looking to get them for home use. Because of this demand, we created a freshbrewed filter pack that consumers can buy off of our website and through select grocery chains such as A.J.'s, Central Markets, and Peapod. Now we will be able to offer the bottled tea, as well, and expand our retail presence.

What has been the most exciting step in developing and rolling out this new line of tea?

That would be a tie. The first was the awed look on people's faces when they tasted the beverage for the first time. The second was seeing the first bottle come off the line filled with tea; it was simply spectacular. We set out to develop the best and highest quality bottled tea available on the market today, and when that first bottle came off the line I knew we had done it.

Let's talk health and tea. We are all buying into the "green tea for great health" concept. Is it real or a placebo? Are there other teas that offer health benefits?

Green tea has an incredible number of health benefits, and they are real! Also real are the health benefits of black, oolong and white teas. All of these teas come from the same plant, camellia sinensis; it is how the leaf is processed after plucking that determines what it becomes. During this process, the health benefits may alter slightly; but, by and large, many of the benefits will be found in all tea types. This, however, is not true for herbal teas. Teas made from herbs and not the camellia sinensis plant will not share these same health benefits.

What were some of your biggest hurdles when developing this new product?

We pushed the envelope on this product from every angle. From product formulation to bottle design to the screen-printed graphics on the bottle. We refused to settle for less than the best. Our mindset was not always embraced by our suppliers and production partners who would have preferred we did things in a more traditional way. Communicating our vision, and why it was worth all the extra effort and cost to create a truly great product, was probably the biggest hurdle.

China Mist has been in the valley since 1982. How many employees does the company have?

China Mist currently has 26 employees, four of them being regional sales directors who work with our 65 distributors throughout the U.S. and Internationally.

You are the President and Chief Operating Officer of China Mist and have been with the organization since 1984. What was your first position at China Mist?

I have been with CMB since 1984, and I honestly don't remember having a job title then. I was a general laborer doing everything from answering the phones and packaging tea to delivering product and fixing tea brewers. I was one of only two employees at the time, so our job duties were quite varied.

Are you competitive by nature, knowing what direction you wanted to take in the company; or did the "glass ceiling" just become invisible to you?

I don't see myself as competitive in the traditional sense. I am more internally competitive. I have a fierce desire to improve myself everyday and to assist those around me to do the same. My son's kindergarten teacher says it the best when she tells her class not to compare their work to others, just focus on doing their personal best. I really never set my sights on any particular position or title; the company just seemed to develop underneath me and the titles followed.

The title of President and COO carries a lot of prestige. As our readers climb through the ranks in their careers, what advice do you give and what mistakes can they avoid?

While the title of President and COO may carry a lot of prestige, it is the work and commitment of the team they build that makes a company successful. Always push yourself to do your best; don't be afraid to make a mistake - that is how we learn and grow. Just don't make the same mistakes twice! Above all else, challenge the norms. Don't assume because "it has always been done that way" or "our competition does it that way" that it is the correct path to take. Indeed, it is the people who continually strive for a better product, better process, etc., who set themselves and their companies apart from the rest.

What separates China Mist from competitor's products?

That's easy. Commitment to quality and keeping our focus on what we do best.

What other products does China Mist produce?

China Mist iced tea, Leaves Pure Teas hot teas, and we are the exclusive importer and distributor for Mokarabia Italian Coffee.

Now that the new product is launched, what's next for China Mist?

Actually, the new product isn't launched yet. We have a four-phase launch strategy that will take us into mid 2009. After that, we will reassess the needs of our customers and take it from there.