Tricia Wallwork Shares the Sweet Success of Milo’s Tea

RCB President Gordon Martin and Rotarian Maye Head Frei with Tricia Wallwork

On April 17, 2024, the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed Tricia Wallwork, Milo’s Tea Company Chair & CEO.

Wallwork shared the story of the family-owned business started by her grandfather as a walk-up hamburger stand in 1946 that has since been scaled from local tea maker to beloved national beverage brand. She described the process of intentionally growing the company by nearly 42% over the past five years, with products now sold in all 50 states at over 50,000 retailers, new manufacturing facilities in Tulsa, OK and Spartanburg, SC, as well as additional opportunities for growth on the horizon.

Wallwork shared that Milo’s is the number one tea brand in America and sells the fastest growing lemonade. She said the secrets to the company’s success lie in the commitment to quality ingredients, ensuring products are made just like her grandmother’s recipe, and a people-first culture in the company as well as in the communities it serves.

“Our core purpose at Milo’s is to deliver Milo’s moments of delicious joy,” said Wallwork. “It isn’t enough to be delicious and be great for your fans. It is every other behavior that you have as a company.”

Bio for TRICIA WALLWORK

As Chair and CEO of Milo’s Tea Company, Tricia Wallwork leads the team that scaled her family-owned business from local tea maker to beloved national beverage brand. In 2012, Tricia became the third generation to lead Milo’s.  Since then, she has executed her vision to deliver Milo’s Moments to customers and fans across America by building a strong PeopleFirst culture and focusing on excellence.  In 2020, Milo’s became the #1 refrigerated tea brand in the United States and is the fasting growing lemonade brand in America. The company’s best tasting, all natural beverages can be found in more than 45,000 retail locations.  Tricia has a passion for corporate stewardship. She drove the company to become a certified Zero Waste Manufacturer, to innovate in sustainability, to invest in good jobs while ensuring diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and to create a 1% giving pledge for the communities it serves. Tricia serves on the boards of the Consumer Brands Association, the Birmingham Museum of Art, and the Birmingham Business Alliance.  She has been named a Woman Who Shapes the State of Alabama, Top 40 Under 40 All Star, Executive of the Decade, Top CEO, Top Woman in Grocery, and EY Entrepreneur of the Year.