The speaker lineup for our Dec. 7 virtual Future Smarts conference is set. And it’s top-notch. We’ve recently confirmed our final addition, Henrik Jelert, who is EVP for ReadyRefresh at Nestle Waters North America. This direct-to-consumer unit has navigated higher demand for at- home beverage delivery and a slow-down in workplace consumption during the COVID-19 crisis. He and I will discuss challenges and opportunities, while looking ahead to what comes after the pandemic. We’ll also bring Molson Coors Beverage into the Future Smarts fold for the first time. . .

Consistent recycling messages on PET plastic bottles distributed by competing US beverage companies is now expected to rollout by early next year, according to American Beverage Association President and CEO Katherine Lugar. The effort is part of the Every Bottle Back plastic waste reduction initiative announced one year ago by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper under the direction of the ABA. The voluntary on-pack language will...

As BD has reported on extensively, Keurig Dr Pepper has made a series of moves this year in its direct-store-delivery system that hinted of a broader strategy at play. In June, KDP bought back production and distribution rights for RC Cola, A&W Root Beer, Sunkist, 7Up, Snapple and Big Red from Indiana-based Royal Crown Bottling of Evansville. At about the same time, KDP transferred ...

Tomorrow, voters will go to the polls to elect the next President of the United States. Beverage bottlers will watch the results as closely as anyone, to assess the potential impact to the industry’s bottom line during the next four years. With that in mind, BD asked bottling system executives to answer a simple question: “Who do you hope wins the presidency, and why?”...

Ball, North America’s largest aluminum can maker, estimates that shortages for the package in the US this year will top 10 billion cans, according to a Credit Suisse synopsis of the company’s Oct. 6 investor meeting. More details of what's at stake ...

Until the COVID-19 pandemic, European-based private label and contract manufacturer Refresco had been on an acquisition tear since purchasing Cott’s North American soft drink operations in January of 2018. Deals last year stretched from Arizona to  ...  

In the Q&A below, Goist discusses in greater detail Refresco’s acquisition outlook. BD also asks about can shortages and the hard seltzer category. But first, some background and context.