NEWS ITEM: Drinking tea could be beneficial to your health.

    By Art Nadler

    The Food and Agriculture Organization kicked off a campaign in 1990 to encourage people to drink more green and black teas after scientific evidence showed that tea may be a deterrent to certain types of cancers and heart problems. As a result, more and more people around the world have been hanging up their coffee cups and choosing to brew bagged and loose teas.

    Nevadans are lucky. They have a tea company right in their own backyard.

    Davidson's Tea Co. was founded in Reno, NV., in 1976. Currently, it blends more than 100 varieties of teas from the traditional black, green, oolong, herbal and iced teas to specialty brands with such exotic names as Tangerine Almond, Mandarin Cherry Ginger, Fujian green with mango and citrus, Cherry Vanilla, Lemon Mango and many more.

    John and Sharon Davidson started their company with only one blend. They made a spiced apple cider tea for skiers at Lake Tahoe 24 years ago, which became an immediate hit on the slopes. "We are seen as a company that carries a quality product,'' John Davidson says. "We sell to niche markets and specialty stores.'' What makes Davidson's teas appealing is that they also come in small boxes of as few as six bags per box, which make them ideal for gift baskets. Bag wrappers are colorfully emblazoned with artist renderings of teapots, cups, fruit or ice tea pitchers.

    Davidson's services approximately 6,000 customers under its own label. Teas can be purchased through a mail order catalogue, too. However, the company also blends and packages teas for such large corporations as Pier One and Hallmark under these companies' names. In 1999, the Davidson's Tea Co. did $1.5 million in sales, Davidson says. Recently, Davidson says they began blending dessert teas for after dinner. These include such flavors as Vanilla Cream Spice Chai, Raspberry Cream Pecan, Cherries Jubilee, Tangerine Almond and several others.

    "Most people think coffee after dinner, and we want to change their thinking,'' Davidson says. "These dessert teas are not weak (tasting). They are very powerful. We are the only company that does dessert teas.''Davidson's is able to maintain quality by blending small batches of tea, usually 100 pounds, at a time. While domestic sales make up the bulk of Davidson's business, the company also ships to Canada, Japan and some parts of Europe.

    There are 12 people working in the 25,000 square-foot Reno factory, Davidson says, adding that most of them have been with him for many years. "Nevada is an excellent state for teas because of the dry climate, and there are few insects,'' Davidson says. "All of our blending is done here. We are a specialty tea company, rather than a mass-market producer.''

    For more information, contact: Davidson's Inc., P.O. Box 11214, Reno, NV. 89515 Phone: 1-800-882-5888. Fax: (775) 356-3713. Website: www.davidsonstea.com. The e-mail address is: [email protected]