Humm Kombucha, the Bend-based fermented tea company that began in a home kitchen, has hired Bruce Boettner as vice president of sales.

Boettner said he has 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, having worked at Heinz, Kellogg’s, Evolution Fresh and Kashi. He started Feb. 15 leading Humm’s sales team with goals to get the product in more stores. He will commute between Bend and San Diego, where he lives now, he said.

“It’s a great brand, and the company culture is so amazing,” Boettner said. “It’s loving and caring and a fun brand. There’s a lot of room for growth.”

Humm was founded by Jamie Danek and Michelle Mitchell in 2009. Its products can be found in all 50 states and Sweden and is available in Costco, Target and Walmart stores, according to the company’s website.

Late last year Humm Kombucha announced it would build a 100,000-square-foot facility in Roanoke, Virginia, in the same industrial park where Bend-based Deschutes Brewery will build its second production facility.

One of Boettner’s key objectives will be to increase the breadth and depth of product offerings in stores around the country. He said he’ll work with retail partners to encourage them to put a bigger line of products on the shelves. Today less than 5 percent of U.S. households consume kombucha, a 50 percent increase over a year ago, Boettner said.

“Bruce Boettner’s extensive experience and community-driven attitude make him a perfect fit for our Humm family,” wrote Jaime Danek, the co-founder and CEO of Humm Kombucha in an email Wednesday. “As we continue to grow, we are thrilled to have someone with Bruce’s expertise to help scale the business and give more folks a chance to enjoy a taste of Bend.”

Selling the story of Humm and the health effects of the sweet and sour fizzy drink to consumers will be the main part of the pitch to retailers, Boettner said. “There’s a big health trend now on how much of our overall health is tied to our digestive track,” he said. “We are confident that we can help a lot of people. Humm has unique flavors.”

The company operates a brewery at its corporate offices on Brinson Boulevard in Bend. It has a taproom on NE Second Street that it moved into in 2013. The company produces 10 flavors of kombucha, with coconut lime being the favorite overall.

— Reporter; 541-633-2117, sroig@bendbulletin.com