Family-Owned Milo's Tea Company Surpasses $1 Billion in Annual Retail Sales, Solidifying Its Position as the No. 1 Growth Driver in the Tea and Lemonade Categories in America
The famous three-ingredient family recipe built a billion-dollar brand, now the third-generation, certified women-owned business sets its sights on continued growth in its core business while innovating to meet evolving consumer preferences
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Milo's Tea Company, Inc., the family-owned and certified women-owned business behind America's No. 1 selling refrigerated tea and fastest-growing lemonade, today announced it has surpassed $1 billion in annual retail salesi, a milestone reached ahead of the company's own projection of year-end 2027. Milo's achieved this growth organically, without a single acquisition, by growing unit velocity, gaining market share and acquiring new consumers while competing against global beverage brands.
Since 2022,
- Milo's retail sales have more than doubled from $450 million to $1 billion, according to leading market research company Circana's U.S. multi-outlet with convenience data in the 52 weeks ending September 6.
- Milo's retail distribution has increased by 50% to 65,000+ stores across America.
- The brand accounts for nearly half the market in units and dollars in the refrigerated tea category while lemonade grew by double digitsii.
- Household penetration has increased by 56%, now reaching one in four U.S. households, while also increasing its conversion and repeat rateiii.
- Milo's has the highest repeat purchase rate relative to other top ready-to-drink refrigerated tea competitors – 52% of the brand's households are repeat purchasersiv.
Founded as a single restaurant in Alabama in 1946 by Milo and Bea Carlton, the company has been led by Chair and CEO Tricia Wallwork, granddaughter of the founders, since 2012. Wallwork is one of the few female CEOs running a billion-dollar beverage company based in the United States. Under her leadership, Milo's has grown from a local brand to a national beverage leader with distribution in all 50 states.
"If you told my grandparents in 1946 that their walk-up burger stand would grow into a billion-dollar beverage brand, I don't think they would have believed you, but I know they'd be very proud of the way we did it using their same philosophy: use high-quality real ingredients, always listen to your customers and never sacrifice taste," Wallwork said.
This kind of hockey stick growth is rare in beverage and in the CPG industry as a wholev. Over the past five years, Milo's has delivered a compound annual growth rate of 25%.
Wallwork credits this growth to Milo's award-winning People First culture, a delicious product made with real ingredients, a compelling core company purpose, excellence in execution, strong customer relationships and a loyal fan base.
Milo's Is the Tea Category Leader
Tea is a multibillion-dollar category, and Milo's growth has outpaced category trends. According to Circana, over the last five years, Milo's has led the tea category in America in dollar and unit growth.
Milo's growth has largely been driven by a loyal fan base and by growing intentionally, not everywhere at once. Milo's has focused on building velocity before expanding its retail footprint, which allowed it to grow household penetration nationwide at a remarkable rate.
"In a world where premium beverages chase an individual serving, we've built our core business around the family gallon — a format that delivers extraordinary value for families and drives consistent household penetration," Wallwork said.
Milo's never compromises on taste or quality, brewing real tea fresh daily with only the best natural ingredients. Milo's has never added preservatives, acids, colors or dyes. As consumer demand grows for natural products with clean ingredients and functional benefits, Milo's foundational values and infrastructure uniquely position the company to meet more fan occasions.
"We were clean label before it was cool, so we don't have to chase trends," Wallwork said. "That's a value we're not willing to sacrifice to grow faster, and our consumers appreciate that authenticity. We see that through repeat purchase – they can taste the difference, and they are loyal to brands like Milo's that don't take shortcuts. Now we're going to innovate on our assortment to give fans more of what they want."
Milo's Is Built in America with a Strong Commitment to U.S. Manufacturing Jobs
Milo's isn't marking the billion-dollar milestone with a new number to chase. Instead, the company will continue to focus on what got it here: scaling its People First culture, excellence in executing its core portfolio of beverages, reinvesting in operations, expanding strong and honest retailer relationships and listening to its loyal fan base for future innovation ideas.
As a family brand, Milo's is working to continue leading category growth while competing with industry giants, exceeding fan and retailer expectations and meeting consumers in new use occasions where it is uniquely positioned to lead.
Milo's growth has been enabled by investing about $400 million in U.S. manufacturing capabilities since 2020, tripling production capacity and adding more than 600 jobs. Milo's operates four of its own U.S. manufacturing and distribution facilities in Bessemer, Ala.; Birmingham, Ala.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Spartanburg, S.C.
"People are the number-one ingredient in our success, and every strategic decision we've made over the last 80 years of this company has focused on putting people first," Wallwork said. "The biggest priority I own as CEO is our culture, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I don't take it for granted that each one of our more than 1,000 associates feels comfortable sharing honest feedback with me when I walk the plant floor. That makes our company different and better. It means a lot to me when an associate shares a Milo's Moment, like having a new addition to their family, graduating from college through Milo's tuition assistance, or taking advantage of our volunteer time off and associate-led giving funds to contribute to a cause that's important to them."
Milo's invests in the people helping it grow, offering well-paying, meaningful careers and excellent benefits for all associates like 100% company-paid health insurance premiums for associates and their families, generous parental leave, 401(k) match, gym stipends, tuition assistance and growth pathways.
About Milo's Tea Company
Milo's Tea Company is a family-owned, WBENC-certified women-owned business crafting delicious, high-quality, fresh beverages since 1946. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., Milo's has been brewing the best-tasting, closest-to-homemade iced teas and lemonades for three generations and counting. The company has established itself as the No. 1 growth driver in the tea and lemonade categories in America using only a few real ingredients. The company's delicious beverages are available in all 50 states in more than 65,000 retail locations.
Milo's has four manufacturing and distribution facilities located in Bessemer, Ala.; Birmingham, Ala.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Spartanburg, S.C. - its largest facility that opened in 2024. Milo's invests in sustainable manufacturing practices, focusing on water stewardship, carbon reduction and waste recycling and reduction efforts. The company is an active participant in the Water Council and is proud to have achieved TRUE Platinum Zero Waste certification in 2020. Milo's also donates at least 1% of its annual profits to organizations pursuing Education and Advancement for All, Protecting the Planet for Future Generations and Community Disaster Relief. Milo's People First culture was recognized nationally in 2024 for being the No. 3 Most Loved Workplace in America by Newsweek. To learn more about Milo's or find a store near you, visit www.drinkmilos.com.
i Circana, LLC, Total US - MULO+ with Conv, Milo's Tea Custom Retailer Scan Data for Refrigerated Tea & Lemonade, Dollar & Unit Sales, Dollars % Change, 52 WE Sept 6, 2026
ii Circana, LLC, Total US - MULO+ with Conv, Milo's Tea Custom Retailer Scan Data for Refrigerated Tea & Lemonade, Dollar & Unit Sales, Dollars % Change, 52 WE Sept 6, 2026
iii Numerator L52 w/e 8/23/26
iv Numerator L52 w/e 8/23/26
v Citi CR – Non-Alc. Beverage Newsletter; August 2026
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