David Hayslette does a lot of listening and occasionally, a bit of taste testing. As the leader of the WestRock craft beverage practice, he’s the guy who pulls together all the resources that WestRock offers—from cartons to corrugated, to labels and more—to provide holistic solutions for his customers. “We ask a lot of questions and listen hard around what our customers’ objectives are,” he explains.

Each solution in his toolbox is almost as carefully crafted as the beverages of those with whom he speaks—designed to lower cost, boost sales, minimize risk and advance sustainability goals. It’s a shared ambition and therefore, always grounded in a partnership. These deep partnerships are focused on solving customers’ specific challenges while educating them about how packaging can help deliver on their unique brand promise. For JuneShine, a San Diego-based hard kombucha maker, sustainability is a huge part of its story. So is authenticity in branding. WestRock partnered with JuneShine to deliver on both.

Here’s David’s conversation with Annie Atwell, director of marketing for JuneShine. Cheers!

David Hayslette, WestRock's Senior Director of Business Development, Craft Beverages