Sees No Dr Pepper Move from KO, PEP; Opportunity in Energy, Hydration; Strong Allied Brand Strategy.
December 17, 2019
Keurig Dr Pepper Chief Commercial Officer Derek Hopkins has been as close as anyone to the merger of Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple. Hopkins served as chief integration officer for the transaction and before that was president of Keurig Green Mountain’s US business. His experience in the global beverage industry is deep, with stints at Coca-Cola, AB InBev, Bacardi and Guiness Diageo. The following is a recap of his Future Smarts conference interview in Dec. 9 in New York.
PepsiCo has signed a letter of intent to purchase independent Pepsi bottler Bridge 2 Bridge Beverages, based in Bremerton, Washington west of Seattle. The acquisition of the
We wanted to know more about Coke Tullahoma’s recent sale of its Tennessee and Kentucky franchise territories to Great Lakes Coca-Cola, which is owned by Chicago-based soft drinks and beer distributor Reyes Holdings. So we called...
US Version of Coca-Cola Energy Debuts This Week at NACS. National Launch Set For January. Company to Address Sparkling Water Gap. Powerade Plans Innovation Blitz in 2020.
October 1, 2019
Franchise bottlers for Coca-Cola North America met in Atlanta last month to evaluate innovation and system marketing plans for 2020. The theme of the meeting was “Ready to Execute.” CCNA President Jim Dinkins reiterated that the system’s strategy is dependent on...
Two Years After Refranchising, Bottler Hits Stride in US
September 17, 2019
The past year has been good for Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (CCSWB). The Dallas-based bottler, controlled by Mexico’s Arca Continental, took home the 2019 Candler Cup as Coca-Cola’s best bottler of the year globally. Before that, CCSWB was named Coke North America’s 2018 Market Street Challenge winner as the most improved bottler. And Southwest’s McAllen, Texas production plant earned a President’s Quality Award as CCNA’s No. 1 facility. The accolades rolled in just two years after Arca entered the US market as part of Coke’s massive refranchising of company-owned bottling assets in the US and Canada. In its first year, CCSWB faced Hurricane Harvey, which caused extensive flooding and damage in Houston, a key market. The bottler also faced soaring commodity costs. BD visited Houston recently for a curated market tour that served as a victory lap of sorts. The day was hosted by Coke Southwest executives including COO Jean Claude Tissot, a 21-year veteran of the Coca- Cola system in Latin America. The following recap includes images from the tour and commentary...
‘It Will Just Escalate and Never Go Away.’ ‘We’re Actually Coming Around to the Notion.’
August 9, 2019
Plastic packaging waste may now pose the single-biggest risk to profitability for the global beverage industry. Some US industry leaders have suggested behind the scenes that a national per-package fee could help fund solutions faster. But would such a proposal ever fly among some of those who will be most affected – independent US Coca-Cola and PepsiCo bottlers? To find out, BD asked...