Colorado Functional Chewing Gum Brands Now Available Touch-Free; The New Normal is Helping to Expand a New Category
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DENVER - illiNews -- Currently being spotted at retail locations in the greater Denver area is a growing network of small, eye-catching devices that dispense Apollo Energy Gum®, Golf Gum®, and Synapse® CBD Gum touch-free via text from any cell phone. Known as SPACE STATION®, these unique devices are about the size of a Keurig machine, and represent a significant departure from the traditional wholesale/retail and marketing infrastructures.

Masks, hand sanitizer, fear of spreading infection, and general health concerns are influencing consumer purchasing habits more than at any time in the past.  By incorporating multiple touch-free payment methods, the teams behind SPACE STATION® Limited, Apollo Brands® LLC, and Synapse® LLC believe they were ahead of the curve before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic just a few months ago.

"We got lucky," stated CEO Troy Widgery.  "We started developing a healthier alternative to energy drinks over a decade ago with the belief that consumers would prefer a smart, portable, sugar-free and more functional way to stay focused and energized. COVID-19 just accelerated a trend that we thought was still a couple of years away," he continued.

Apollo Energy Gum® and Golf Gum® are produced by the Liquid Core® Gum Company in Denver, which also manufactures Synapse® CBD Gum. The SPACE STATION® division developed its technology with a forward-looking vision – to build a network of autonomous sales and sampling devices that consumers are excited to interact with from any cell phone, completely touch-free.

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"We are a small team with enormous ambition," said Boyd Wilkinson, COO. "Consumers want brands to deliver products that complement a healthy lifestyle, and SPACE STATION® engages consumers in a way that helps convey the future we all want: simpler, healthier, and more effective products that are distributed in a modern, hygienic way." Apollo® sales are up 251% over last month, and our International partners are placing re-orders that will increase that number even further.

SPACE STATION® devices are appearing at a growing number of retail locations throughout the Denver area, including convenience stores and golf facilities, and will begin testing in Europe as soon as next week.

"People are completely blown away!" stated Wilkinson, describing the company's successful launch of SPACE STATION® at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando earlier this year. "When someone receives their pack just seconds after sending a text, their joy and excitement is extremely rewarding," he said.

In the same way the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a new wave of interest in Liquid Core® functional gum products, the interest in SPACE STATION® technology has been accelerated, and representatives of other consumer brands have approached SPACE STATION® Limited about customizing its touch-free distribution technology for their products.

"We first designed SPACE STATION® to be interactive and fun, but its automated, touch-free features are especially important now that consumers want as little contact as possible," said Widgery. "The COVID-19 situation has turned out to be a pivotal event for SPACE STATION® and for our gum brands as well, and we are grateful that we can help," stated Widgery.

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About:  SPACE STATION® exemplifies both the ingenuity and the technological capabilities of the R&D team at Liquid Core®.  Nothing like SPACE STATION® existed, so the team designed and built it from scratch.  Just 20 months later, production units are coming online.  The Liquid Core® brands were featured in a Wall Street Journal story about the growing functional gum sector in December 2019. The Liquid Core® concept was born out of Founder Troy Widgery's prior success with GO FAST!® Energy Drink. Following the successful exit from GO FAST!® the Apollo® Team focused on creating a healthier and more portable energy product. This led to the unique Liquid Core® Brands like Golf Gum®, FLY GUM® and Synapse®, manufactured in Denver, Colorado USA.  Apollo® strives to inspire consumers to challenge the status quo of how they get their energy: Be Smart, Chew Your Energy™.  Apollo's® mission is notably focused: To Empower People with Good Energy™.  For more visit SPACE STATION®, Golf Gum®, Synapse®, and Apollo Energy Gum®.

High-Res SPACE STATION® B-roll Video and Stills available here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hThBQ8tPM8wqZJkPEAh9jMdcKZZra5eG

Lower-Res/Preview Reel available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkQV7n0C8NQ&feature=youtu.be