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Austin-American Statesman, 1/13/2006
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P.O. Box 13206
Austin, Texas 78711-3206
Phone: (512) 477-2066
Fax: (512) 477-1782
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"Longhorn" Water Flows to Austin Market
in Time for National Championship Celebrations!
January 12, 2006
Austin, TX. Just like the Texas Longhorns put out the fire in the USC Trojans, "Longhorn" bottled water has arrived to quench the thirst of celebrating UT-Austin fans.
"Talk about living a dream," said Marta Mattox, owner of TexStar Marketing, Inc., the company that built the brand "Texas Crystal Water." The company is approved to promote, sell, and distribute Longhorn Water. "It was a long process working with the Collegiate Licensing Company. The water is now available in Austin at Central Markets, University Co-op, Scholz's, Trianon: The Coffee Place, Wheatsville Co-op, among others. Labatt Foods is distributing state-wide. For traveling UT fans, the bottled water is available at the new Longhorn Store at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport which just opened before Christmas," said Mattox.
Mattox said the timing of the deal, on the heels of the Longhorn's Rose Bowl and National Championship victory, was nearly a year in the making.
"The idea to market Longhorn Water started with a request from our client Terry Mahlum, General Manager of DNC Travel Services at ABIA, who was planning The Longhorn Store at the airport to market UT products to travelers and visitors," said Mattox.
"I knew I wanted to sell bottled water at The Longhorn Store at the airport. I asked Marta to take the ball and run with it because we have enjoyed an excellent professional and business relationship in the past. I knew Texas Crystal Water could get the job done," said Terry Mahlum, of Delaware North Company Travel Services which owns the Longhorn Store. The store is located in the west end of the terminal, near Gate 19 at ABIA.
Mattox also took "the bull by the longhorns" and solely sponsored the giant six foot by nine foot commemorative "Live the Dream" banners at ABIA. They will be hanging at the airport through the end of January. Afterwards, she said, "I hope to get the players and coaches to sign one of them, and I plan to auction it off to a world-wide audience of Texas fans on E-Bay and donate the proceeds to the Longhorn Foundation."
Having owned and operated Texas Crystal Water locally for over a decade, Mattox has a loyal following of water aficionados.
Texas Crystal Water has been a well known, local favorite for many years at high-end, specialty grocers such as Austin's Central Markets, Whole Foods, and Sun Harvest Farms, as well as many other retailers. Now the bottled water will carry a new Longhorn label.
Mattox and Texas Crystal Water have also been involved in hundreds of charitable, civic, and humanitarian efforts since the company started in the mid 1990's. Mattox' donation to victims of Hurricane Katrina, literally saved lives, according to Trish Graham of Mobile Loaves and Fishes. "Marta responded so quickly that we were able to get bottled water to victims within 48 hours of the disaster. For many, that was the first relief they had seen and it was a lifesaver," Graham said.
"All Austin, all proud Texans, and wanna-be Texans throughout the world can now 'toast' the Longhorn's great Rose Bowl victory with Longhorn Water," Mattox said. "I've been marketing Texas water for many, many years now and always believed there's something very special about Texas water."
"Remember the old adage, 'there must be something special in the water?' Well it's true, and the Longhorns just proved it. The Texas "Longhorns" are world class!" said Mattox.
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