With corporate headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, Cott Corporation is one of the largest non-alcoholic beverage companies in the world. When it comes to being a retail-brand soft drink provider, they are the largest in the world. Cott began in 1950, went public on the Montreal and Toronto Stock Exchanges in 1986, and hit NASDAQ in 1992. Due to significant growth, the company moved to the New York Stock Exchange in 2002.
It all began in the 1950’s when Harry Pencer began importing Cott sodas into Canada. His children helped spur this move because of their love for Cott Black Cherry soda, which they enjoyed during their summers at Camp Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. In 1955, Pencer established Cott Beverages Ltd., to be a beverage bottler in Quebec. In the late 1950’s, Cott became the first company in the world to launch a diet soft drink. On request, they developed a formula for a diet soft drink for diabetic patients at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec.
Today, Cott Corporation supplies national and regional supermarkets, mass-merchandise stores, drug stores, wholesalers, and convenience store chains. Along with their Canadian headquarters, the company also has offices in Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Cott works with many of the world’s leading grocery retailers to build high-quality private label beverage programs that increase the strength of a store’s brand name.
Cott’s products include carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and ready-to-drink teas. They also include sparkling and flavored waters, juices, juice drinks, smoothies, and other non-carbonated beverages. The company owns brands such as their namesake Cott, as well as RC, Vintage, Clear Choice, Vess, So Clear, Ben Shaws, and Stars & Stripes. Their ready-to-drink teas sell under the Orient Emporium Tea Co™. They also sell Xingtea®, which rounds out their premium product portfolio of non-alcoholic beverages. Cott’s energy drink offerings include Red Rain, Red Rooster, Throwdown™, and Aftershock.
Cott Corporation continues to offer a variety of drinks to tickle the taste buds of consumers around the world. They sell carbonated soft drinks to over 60 countries and more than 75 retailer brand programs. Their business partners include large retailers such as Wal-Mart, HEB, Tesco, and Metro. Cott Corporation continues to get their product out. While Cott may not be the name consumers see on a label, they are the company that has deep market penetration in the Beverages-Soft Drink industry due to their widespread distribution under a host of other names.
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