Odwalla to Join With Maine Juice Company

Odwalla Inc., the upscale juice company in Half Moon Bay, Calif., that survived a lethal E. coli outbreak in 1996, said it will merge with Maine juice company Fresh Samantha Inc. in a stock deal valued at $27 million. Odwalla said merging with the East Coast’s leading premium juice maker will strengthen Odwalla’s position in that section of the market. Privately owned Fresh Samantha is headquartered in Saco, Maine. Doug Levin, the chief executive and a founder of Fresh Samantha, would be president of Odwalla when the merger is complete. Three years ago, Odwalla’s image was tarnished by a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to its juice. A Colorado girl died and 66 others were sickened by bacteria in Odwalla’s unpasteurized apple juice. Shares of Odwalla rose 25 cents to close at $7.13 on Nasdaq.