Deep Rock Water Company

The story of Deep Rock Water begins not with a grand vision, but with a practical problem. In 1896, Denver apothecary owner Stephen Kostitch was told his business was too far from the city center for water service. Undeterred, Kostitch drilled a well, hitting water from the Arapahoe Sandstone nearly 900 feet down. Customers noticed the unique taste of this water, and soon Kostitch closed his drugstore to enter the bottling business, founding the Deep Rock Water Company. For over a century, the company built a strong regional presence, providing bottled water delivery to homes and offices. The business eventually expanded its offerings to include coffee and water filtration services. The company's trajectory took a significant turn in the 21st century. In 2004, Norwest Equity Partners and M2P Capital acquired the privately held company, seeing its potential for growth and as an attractive asset for a national supplier. This foresight proved accurate. On December 3, 2011, DS Services of America, a major national provider, acquired Deep Rock's Colorado assets. At the time, Deep Rock's President and CEO, Thomas A. Schwein, expressed confidence that the new ownership would elevate the brand he had led for the previous four years. The acquisition marked the integration of a historic, local brand into a larger national distribution family, continuing the flow of water that started from a single well over a hundred years prior.