Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. is recognized for its award-winning coffees and innovative brewing technologies. The company’s operations are managed through several business units including the specialty coffee business unit and the Keurig business unit. Keurig is a pioneer and leading manufacturer of gourmet single-cup brewing systems.

Green Mountain and Starbucks Corporation today announced a strategic relationship for the manufacturing, marketing, distribution and sale of Starbucks and Tazo tea branded K-Cup portion packs for use in Green Mountain’s Keurig Single-Cup brewing system. Starbucks is, of course, the world’s premier roaster, marketer and retailer of specialty coffees.

The new relationship will provide owners of Keurig Single-Cup Brewers with the additional choice afforded by having Starbucks branded super-premium coffees available for their brewers. It also furthers Starbucks’ stated goals of expanding its presence in premium single-cup coffee and making its premium coffees conveniently available to consumers wherever, whenever and however they want it.

Starbucks will be the exclusive, licensed super-premium coffee brand produced by Green Mountain Coffee for the Keurig Single-Cup brewing system. The companies plan to make Starbucks K-Cup portion packs available through food, drug, mass, club, specialty and department store retailers across the US and Canada in the fall of 2011.

The companies also plan to expand Starbucks K-Cup portion pack and Keurig Single-Cup Brewing system distribution to Starbucks stores beginning in 2012. Also in 2012, the two companies plan to make Starbucks K-Cup portion packs available through both companies websites. The websites can be found at www.greenmountaincoffee.com, www.keurig.com and www.starbucks.com

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