| Type | Public (TSX: BCB NYSE: COT) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Beverage |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Headquarters | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
| Number of locations | 21[1] |
| Key people | Chairman: David T. Gibbons President and CEO: Jerry Fowden CFO: Neal Cravens |
| Products | soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, teas and water |
| Services | Private label |
| Revenue | $1.77 Billion |
| Operating income | $198.40 Million |
| Net income | ($71.4) Million Loss |
| Total assets | $1.1 Billion |
| Total equity | $409.7 Million |
| Employees | 2,996[2] |
| Subsidiaries | see below |
| Website | www.cott.com |
The Cott Corporation (TSX: BCB NYSE: COT) is a leading supplier of private label carbonated soft drinks distributing to Canada, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Europe. In addition to producing many private-label beverages for retailers, Cott also has a large and growing portfolio of its own brands. These brands include Cott, RC (excluding North America, where it is part of Dr Pepper Snapple Group), Ben Shaws, Stars & Stripes, Vintage and Vess soft drinks. Recently, Cott has been expanding its product line into ready-to-drink teas, sparkling and flavoured waters, sports and energy drinks, juice drinks and smoothies. These newer Cott brands include Orient Emporium, GL-7, Red Rain Energy and After Shock Energy.
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The history of Cott goes back to 1923, when Cott Beverage Corporation was founded by Solomon Cott, a Polish immigrant, and his son Harry, in Port Chester, New York. Harry Pencer, a clothier from Montreal, Canada, began to import Cott sodas into Quebec, Canada, in 1952. In 1955 Pencer acquired the Canadian rights to the Cott label and established Cott Beverages (Canada) Ltd., to bottle the Cott line of sodas. From 1976 to 1991, Cott expanded its distribution throughout Canada and back into the United States and into Europe.[3] During the 1960s and 1970s, labels for its products were printed with the punning slogan "It's Cott to be good". Vess Beverage assets and its division, Vess Specialty Packaging Company, was purchased in 1994.[4] In 1969, the name was changed to Cott Beverages Ltd., and in 1991 to Cott Corporation.[5]
From 1992 to 1996, Cott was headed by Heather Reisman, founder of Indigo Books & Music.
In October 2000, Concord Beverages, with its Vintage brand seltzer water, was acquired from Honickman Group.[6] In April 2007, Cott was said to be considering a bid for Cadbury Schweppes soft drinks business.[7] In 2007, in conjunction with the premiere of the The Simpsons Movie, Cott partnered with 7-Eleven to produce "Buzz Cola", a fictional soda found in the The Simpsons television series.[8] In late February 2008, Cott was served notice by its key customer, Wal-Mart, that shelf space for some soft drinks made by Cott for the world's largest retailer would be cut back.[9] Nearly a year later in January 2009, Wal-Mart informed Cott it was terminating a 10-year-old pact under which Cott had been supplying the company with store-branded soft drinks.[10]
In July 2010, Cott announced its acquisition of Cliffstar Corporation, a U.S. supplier of store-branded beverages.[11]
Red Rooster is a mixed fruit flavour energy drink brand aimed at the same market sector as Red Bull.[12] It is packaged in slim 250 ml (8.8 imp fl oz; 8.5 US fl oz) cans or in 1 litre (35.2 imp fl oz; 33.8 US fl oz) bottles. It is available for purchase in the United Kingdom (UK) in Morrisons, Iceland, Total S.A., Farmfoods, Asda and the Co-op UK, in Mace, Dunnes Stores in Ireland, and in Match supermarkets in Hungary. Asda originally launched it under the in-house brand name of Blue Charge.[13]
Cott's 24, The Series is the name given to the 440 and 500 ml (15.5 and 17.6 imp fl oz; 14.9 and 16.9 US fl oz) can version of the product. It is sold mostly in UK discount stores. The name of the drink comes from the American television series 24. The drink's advertising slogan is "Every second counts!", which ties into the real-time nature of the television series. It is formulated with 32 milligrams (0.0011 oz) of caffeine per 100 millilitres (3.5 imp fl oz; 3.4 US fl oz). A diet version is now being introduced in some UK stores.
Blue Charge is the brand name of an energy drink, produced in the UK by Cott for Asda[14] as an alternative to such products as Red Bull and Powerade.[15] Marketed as an energy drink to combat mental and physical fatigue, it contains, per 250 ml (8.3 U.S. fl. oz.) serving, about 27 g of sugar (glucose, sucrose), 1000 mg of taurine, 600 mg of glucuronolactone, B-complex vitamins and 80 mg of caffeine. The caffeine in one serving is less than that found in an average cup of coffee (typically 100 mg/250 ml cup) or twice as much as found in a can of Coke (40 mg/330-ml can) - around 80 mg per can. A diet version has been available since the beginning of 2003. Diet Blue Charge is sweetened with aspartame, as opposed to sucrose and glucose, as found in original Blue Charge. The drink is described as tasting of 'fruit flavours' and an alternative cranberry flavour is available. It is commonly used by the British youth and student culture as mixer in alcoholic drinks, such as with vodka. The ingredients in Blue Charge, similar to those used in Red Bull, are: carbonated water, sugar, glucose-fructose syrup, citric acid, taurine (0.4%), natural flavourings, acidity regulator (sodium citrates), fruit and vegetable concentrates (apple, carrot, hibiscus), glucuronolactone, caffeine, inositol, vitamins (niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, riboflavin, vitamin B12), preservative (potassium sorbate).[16] The drink has a high caffeine content (30mg/100ml).[16]
Cola is a carbonated cola-flavored soft drink produced by Cott's Tampa, FL plant and sold in some Wal-Mart stores.
Most products produced by Cott are certified Kosher. Any certified product in the US or Canada carries a kosher symbol on the label.
| Subsidiary | state of incorporation | holdings |
|---|---|---|
| Cott Holdings Inc. | Delaware & Nova Scotia | 100% |
| Cott USA Corp. | Georgia | 100% |
| Cott Beverages Inc.* | Georgia | 100% |
| Northeast Retailer Brands LLC | Delaware | 51% |
| Cott Vending Inc. | Delaware | 100% |
| Cott International Trading, Ltd. | Barbados | 100% |
| BCB International Holdings | Cayman Islands | 100% |
| BCB European Holdings | Cayman Islands | 100% |
| Cott Retail Brands Limited | United Kingdom | 100% |
| Cott Europe Trading Limited | United Kingdom | 100% |
| Cott Beverages Limited | United Kingdom | 100% |
| Subsidiary | state of incorporation | holdings |
|---|---|---|
| Interim BCB, LLC | Delaware | 100% |
| Northeast Retailer Brands LLC | Delaware | 51% |
| Cott Vending Inc. | Delaware | 100% |
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