A.G. Barr

Infobox Company
company_name = A.G. Barr plc
company_
company_slogan =
vector_
company_type = Public (lse|BAG)
genre =
foundation = 1875
founder = Robert Barr
location = Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland
origins =
key_people = Robin Barr, Chairman
Roger White, Chief Executive
area_served =
industry = Beverages
products = Irn-Bru
Tizer
Red Kola
Barr Cola
D'n'B
American Cream Soda
Cherryade
St Clements
Lemonade
Ginger Beer
Limeade
Lipton Iced Tea
Orangina
revenue = profit £128.8 million GBP (2006)
operating_income = profit £17.9 million GBP (2006)
net_income = profit £12.2 million GBP (2006)
num_employees = 915
parent =
subsid =
owner =
homepage = http://www.agbarr.co.uk
footnotes =

A.G. Barr plc (LSE Stockcode: BAG) is a Scottish soft drinks manufacturer, based in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is particularly notable for the manufacture of the popular Scottish drink, Irn-Bru. A.G. Barr is the largest manufacturer of soft drinks in the United Kingdom.

History

The company was founded in 1875 by Robert Barr in the town of Forfar. His son, also called Robert, set up a division of the original company in Glasgow which had a much larger population. The two divisions merged in 1959. Irn-Bru was first launched in 1901. 1980 saw the introduction of Low Calorie Irn-Bru, this changed in 1991 to Diet Irn-Bru and the Irn-Bru 32 energy drink variant was launched in 2006. In 1972, the Tizer brand was purchased. In 2001 the company acquired Findlays Mineral Water which is sourced in the Lammermuir Hills, this brand was joined by Forfar based Strathmore Mineral Water in May of 2006.cite web | url=http://business.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=639&id=787302006 | publisher=The Scotsman | author=William Lyons | date=2006-05-28 | title=Barr hopes water deal will help it fizz again] In 2008 the company purchased the Taut sports drink range. cite web | url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b5facc66-cae6-11dc-a960-000077b07658.html | publisher=Financial Times |author=Jeremy Lemer | date=2008-01-25 |title= AG Barr grows in sports drinks] The company also manufactures Red Kola, Barr Cola, D'n'B, American Cream Soda, St Clements and its own brands of Lemonade, Ginger Beer and Limeade. In the UK, the company also has a partnership with Unilever to market Lipton Iced Tea and a manufacturing franchise with Cadbury Schweppes for the Orangina soft drink range.

Competition with Coca-Cola

In Scotland there is fierce competition between Irn-Bru and Coca-Cola. Irn-Bru has long been the most popular soft drink in Scotland, but recent times have seen the two brands sales at roughly equal levels.cite web | author=Sharon Ward | publisher=The Scotsman | date=2003-09-30 | url=http://business.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=639&id=1081882003 | title=Coke takes sparkle off Irn-Bru] This success in defending its home market (a feat claimed only by Irn-Bru and Peru's Inca Kola) has led to ongoing speculation that either Coke or arch-rivals Pepsi would attempt to buy A.G.Barr. However this has not been confirmed.cite web | date=2005-03-06 | url=http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/business.cfm?id=244962005 | title=Cash reigns supreme amid share buyback spree | author=Ian Dey | publisher=Scotland on SundayDead link|date=September 2008]

National and international sales

As of 2006, A.G. Barr produces a whole variety of soft drinks for the UK market including Irn-Bru, Tizer, Red Kola (One of the few cola drinks still made using actual Kola nuts), Barr Cola, D'n'B, St Clements, Lemonade and Limeade at its UK manufacturing plants in Cumbernauld and Mansfield. [ [http://new.filter.ac.uk/database/getinsight.php?id=43&seq=11 Advertising Barr's Irn-Bru ] ] . Irn-Bru is currently manufactured in five factories in Russia, and is also manufactured under licence in Canada and Australia. Bru and various other Barr products are exported to The United States, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Greece, and Cyprus, as well as parts of Africa and Asia. It is available sporadically in Ireland.

References

External links

* [http://www.agbarr.co.uk/ A.G. Barr corporate website]