This case study explores how The Hidden Sea, an Australian wine brand committed to removing ocean plastic, partnered with Park Street to scale its U.S. operations while staying true to its environmental mission. We’ll examine the brand’s founding story, its strategic approach to growth, and how Park Street’s back-office solutions supported its expansion.
Founding a Purpose-Driven Wine Brand
The Hidden Sea was established by Richie Vandenberg and Justin Moran, who saw an opportunity to combine premium winemaking with environmental impact. Based in South Australia’s Limestone Coast—a region whose vineyards sit atop ancient ocean sediment—the brand was inspired by its connection to marine ecosystems.
From the beginning, the founders embedded sustainability into their business model. For every bottle sold, The Hidden Sea removes 10 plastic bottles from the ocean through its partnership with the ReSea Project, a certified ocean cleanup initiative.
“We wanted to prove that business could be a force for good,” said Moran. “But we also knew the wine had to stand on its own—great taste and a great mission weren’t mutually exclusive.”
Early Challenges of a Mission-First Approach
Balancing purpose with profitability presented early hurdles. The brand needed to ensure its cleanup efforts were verifiable while also establishing itself in the competitive U.S. wine market. Compliance, logistics, and distributor management threatened to divert focus from their core mission.
“We’re winemakers, marketers and storytellers first,” Moran explained. “We didn’t have the bandwidth to become experts in alcohol regulations or supply chain management while also building the brand.”
Partnering with Park Street for Operational Support
A recommendation led The Hidden Sea to Park Street, which provided the infrastructure needed to scale the U.S. market efficiently. Park Street’s key services to the Hidden Sea included:
- Compliance management, handling state-by-state alcohol regulations
- Order and inventory tracking, giving real-time visibility into stock levels and sales
- Distribution coordination, creating purchase orders, and streamlining logistics
“Park Street took the operational weight off our shoulders,” said Moran. “They made sure we could focus on sales and brand-building while they managed the complexities of logistics and compliance.”
Strategic Growth and Measured Expansion
Under Park Street’s back-office management, The Hidden Sea executed a strategic, phased U.S. expansion plan. The brand strategically launched in Southern California as its testing ground, carefully assessing market demand before expanding distribution channels. This calculated approach enabled them to fine-tune their market strategy while ensuring alignment between sales growth and their environmental mission of ocean plastic removal.
Today, The Hidden Sea is available in over 600 U.S. retail locations and continues to expand internationally. The brand has removed millions of plastic bottles from the ocean—a figure tracked and independently verified through the ReSea Project’s blockchain-based reporting system.
Looking Ahead
The Hidden Sea plans to deepen its environmental impact by entering new markets and enhancing consumer engagement with its mission. “Our goal is to make every bottle part of a larger story,” said Moran. “With Park Street managing operations, we can concentrate on growing that story—and our impact—even further.”
For mission-driven brands entering the beverage alcohol industry, Moran emphasized the importance of partnerships: “Find experts who can handle the operational heavy lifting. That way, you can focus on what makes your brand unique.”