Cadbury Schweppes will buy Hawaiian Punch juice drink business from Procter & Gamble for $203 mil (BD 1/8/99). Cadbury says brand's volume totals 54 mil cases. Seventy percent -- about 37 mil cases -- represent bottle/can and fountain soft drink-type product, which will be sold by Dr Pepper/Seven Up (DPSU) bottlers. Remainder -- 17 mil cases -- is juice-aisle product which will be handled by Cadbury's Mott's unit. Cadbury says brand will be "managed by" DPSU. Hawaiian Punch's annual revenues about $133.3 mil. BD estimates brand's total volume up last year about +5%; soft drink portion up strongly with juice-aisle business about flat. Deal expected to close by end of May. Systems. BD estimates about 60% of Hawaiian Punch's soft drink volume moves through Pepsi system, balance through 3rd-tier. Industry executive says Cadbury and Pepsi Bottling Group likely add Hawaiian Punch to brand security agreement before deal closes (BD 12/11/98).

US business. On day Cadbury announces deal, company global beverage CEO John Brock tells employees deal sends "strong signal (about) company's intention to invest in and continue to build our US beverage business." Adds deal refutes anticipation by some that Cadbury would be "less supportive" of US beverage business with impending sale of non-US business to Coke. Plus. Brock notes "concentrate portion of the business ... fits in nicely with our DPSU operation ... Juice-aisle part (fits) nicely" with Mott's. Says "excellent working relationship" between DPSU and Mott's necessary to "ensure" brand's growth.

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