Tervis has been part of Florida life since 1946, when the Duncan family moved the company to the state and built it into the drinkware brand now found in cupboards across the region. Hosana Fieber, the company's CEO, did not start in drinkware at all. She came up through public accounting before moving into Tervis as CFO, then COO, and eventually into the top job, a path she walks through in detail on this episode, her first ever podcast appearance.
Fieber talks about running a company with more than 200 employees and about the guarantees that make Tervis distinct, including a lifetime warranty and a recycling program that turns old product into new. One of the more specific details from the conversation involves the Legacy Trail, where benches made from roughly 600 pounds of recycled Tervis material now sit for cyclists and walkers to use, a tangible link between the brand and the Sarasota community it calls home.
Licensing, Artists and Hurricane Relief
The conversation covers Tervis's collaborations with artists like Guy Harvey along with major licensing partnerships across the NFL, Disney and MLB, but the most memorable stretch is about Hurricane Ian. Fieber describes the tumbler fundraiser Tervis ran for storm relief and an internal employee relief fund the company stood up to help its own staff recover, a response that speaks to how closely the brand is tied to the Sarasota area it operates in.
Roundabouts and Rapid Fire
Asked about Sarasota's roundabouts, Fieber does not say she hates them, but pushes for better signage and warnings aimed at out-of-state drivers, a concern sharpened by the fact that she has a teenage daughter learning to drive on those same roads. The Rapid Fire Gauntlet closes out the episode on a lighter note.
From a career built on climbing the finance ladder to steering a company that gives back after disaster, Hosana Fieber's conversation offers a rare look inside one of Sarasota's most recognizable brands. It is a useful reminder that Tervis, so often taken for granted as a beach-bag staple, is run by a leadership team deeply invested in both its Sarasota workforce and the wider community it has called home for decades.
What you'll take away
- Fieber rose from public accounting to CFO to COO to CEO at Tervis.
- Tervis was founded in 1946 and moved to Florida under the Duncan family.
- Legacy Trail benches are built from roughly 600 pounds of recycled Tervis product each.
- Tervis ran a tumbler fundraiser and an employee relief fund after Hurricane Ian.
- Fieber wants better roundabout signage for out-of-state drivers, partly because her teenage daughter is learning to drive.
“This was actually my first ever podcast.”
Places mentioned: Legacy Trail