Colorado cool stuff.

• Author: Peterson, Eric
• Position: SMALL BIZ - Greg Stroh resigns from Pepsi-Cola Co.

MIX1

After Pepsi bought Boulder's Izze Beverage Co. last September, co-founder Greg Stroh left the company and teamed with Dr. James Rouse and Wes Brasher, a former beverage manager for 7-11, to launch mix1 the very next month. Dubbed by Rouse as "a functional beverage," mix1 is a new kind of healthy fast food, containing in one bottle 15 grams of protein, 22 vitamins and minerals, and as many antioxidants as three servings of vegetables. Besides bestselling Blueberry-Vanilla, mix1 comes in Lime, Mango and Mix-Berry flavors. "I wanted to create a product to fit the busy American lifestyle, a grab-and-go product that tasted good and was healthy from top to bottom," said Rouse. "Out of the gate, we've had tremendous distribution and tremendous sales." $2 retail.

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Made by mix1 Inc., Boulder, (303) 717-6669, www.mix1life.com. Available at King Soopers/City Market, Whole Foods and Wild Oats stores in Colorado.

UDI'S GRANOLA:

After starting locally in 2005, Udi's Natural Artisan Granola has gone national. First available in King Soopers on the Front Range and via mail, the granola is made by a division of Udi the Sandwichman, longtime maker of sandwiches for Metro Denver businesses. Udi spun his granola division off in late 2005 as a separate company, and volume doubled to 12,000 pounds a week in 2006. The granola is now available in five varieties and 400 stores nationwide. The company plans more national rollouts with Colorado acting as a launching pad, said Eric Clayman, GM and partner. Coming soon: granola bars, naturally, and crostinis, premium deli crackers made from gourmet breads. "It's going back to Udi's bread-baking roots," said Clayman. Granola: $5.99 retail for a one-pound bag.

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Made by Udi's Granola LLC, Denver, (303) 657-1600, www.udisgranola.com. Available at King Soopers, Whole Foods, and Costco stores in Colorado.

PAIN FREE WORKOUT DVD

"I've been around the fitness business a long time," said Lee Spieker, president and founder of TherapyZone. After cutting his teeth retailing exercise equipment, Spieker developed the first-floor system for aerobics clubs in the...