A.G. Barr

A.G. Barr plc
Public
Traded as LSE: BAG
Industry Beverages
Founded 1875 (1875)
Founder Robert Barr
Headquarters Cumbernauld, Scotland, UK
Key people
 Ronnie Hanna, Chairman
Roger White, Chief Executive
Revenue £257.1 million (2017)[1]
£43.1 million (2017)[1]
£35.6 million (2017)[1]
Number of employees
 1,032 (2016)[2]
Website www.agbarr.co.uk

A.G. Barr plc, commonly known as Barr's, is a soft drink manufacturer, based in Cumbernauld, Scotland. It manufactures the popular Scottish drink, Irn-Bru. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

History

The company was founded in 1875 by Robert Barr in Falkirk.[3] In 1887 his son, Robert Fulton Barr, set up a division of the original company in Glasgow, which had a much larger population.[3] In 1892 the Glasgow branch passed to Andrew Greig Barr (where the name A.G Barr comes from), a brother of the founder of that branch.[3] Irn-Bru was launched in 1901.[3] The Falkirk and Glasgow divisions merged in 1959.[3] The company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1965.[3] In 1972, the Tizer brand was purchased.[3] 1980 saw the introduction of Low Calorie Irn-Bru: this changed its name in 1991 to Diet Irn-Bru, and then in 2010 to Irn-Bru sugar free. In 2001 the company acquired Findlays Mineral Water which is sourced in the Lammermuir Hills.[4]

In 2002 Roger White joined A. G. Barr as managing director and in 2004 became Barr's first ever non-family chief executive.[5]

The Company acquired Forfar-based Strathmore Mineral Water in May 2006.[6] The Irn-Bru 32 energy drink variant was launched in 2006.[3] In 2008 the company purchased the Taut sports drink range[7] and exotic fruit drink company Rubicon.[8]

On 14 November 2012 the Company agreed to merge with Britvic, which produces drinks like J2O, Tango and Robinsons, as well as holding the authority to produce Pepsi for the UK market, to create one of Europe's largest soft drinks companies.[9] On 11 July 2013, AG Barr Chairman Ronnie Hanna announced that the proposed merger of Britvic and AG Barr had been abandoned.[10]

Operations

A.G. Barr produces a variety of soft drinks from production sites at Cumbernauld, Forfar, Tredegar, Milton Keynes and Pitcox in East Lothian.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Annual Report 2017". A.G. Barr. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 "A.G.Barr factshire". Citywire. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History". A.G. Barr. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012.
  4. ↑ A.G. Barr buys up Findlays The Scotsman, 27 December 2002
  5. ↑ The Big Profile: Roger White Insider Magazine, 25 November 2008
  6. ↑ William Lyons (28 May 2006). "Barr hopes water deal will help it fizz again". The Scotsman.
  7. ↑ Jeremy Lemer (25 January 2008). "AG Barr grows in sports drinks". Financial Times.
  8. ↑ Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith (29 September 2010). "AG Barr profits bolstered by exotic fruit drink Rubicon". Marketing Magazine. Haymarket.
  9. ↑ "AG Barr and Britvic agree to merger". BBC. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  10. ↑ "AG Barr abandons bid for Britvic". BBC News. BBC. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
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