Forbes: Tom Mahlke, Chief Executive of CRUNK!!!

Forbes interviews Tom Mahlke for its hip hop business special.  Mahlke is the Chief Executive of CRUNK!!! helping Lil Jon build his energy drink empire.

Mahlke on CRUNK!!! energy drink sales:

"From a retail perspective, in the latest 52-week period we're over $7 million in sales, according to Nielsen...In the last 12 weeks, we're up 25% year over year in retail sales. We're the only non-big four [Coca-Cola...Pepsi...Hansen...Red Bull] owned or distributed brand that's growing. ... By the end of the summer, we expect to be number 11 or 12 overall and the number one independent."

Hey, what about those three exclamation points???

"You know, I asked the same question when I came board... Jon said, 'No, that's not enough. We've got to punctuate this thing. If you're going to get crunk, you've got to get crunk!!!' So that's how the three exclamation points found their way onto the back of the word. It's a little busy, but it makes a point."

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Forbes: Top 20 Hip Hop "Cash Kings" for 2008
Forbes: 50 Cent Gets Money, Wants African Mines
Forbes: Swizz Beats Profile
Forbes: Jermaine Dupri on the Music Industry