National Beverage

National Beverage Corp.
Public
Traded as NASDAQ: FIZZ
Industry Beverages (non-alcoholic)
Founded Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA (1985)
Headquarters Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Key people
Nick A. Caporella, Chairman & CEO
Products Soft drinks
Revenue Increase 518.6 million USD (2006)
Increase 22.23 million USD (2006)
4.3% profit margin
Owner Nick A. Caporella (77%)[1]
Number of employees
1,300[2]
Subsidiaries BevCo Sales, Inc.
Big Shot Beverage Co.
Everfresh Beverages, Inc.
Faygo Beverages, Inc.
LaCROIX Beverages, Inc.
National BevPak
National Retail Brands, Inc.;
PACO, Inc.
Shasta West, Inc.
Shasta Beverages, Inc.
Shasta Beverages International, Inc.
Shasta Food Services
Shasta Military Sales
Shasta Midwest, Inc.
Shasta Northwest, Inc.
Shasta Sales, Inc.
Shasta Sweetener Corp.
Shasta USA
Shasta Vending
Winnsboro Beverage Packers, Inc.[1]
Slogan Love Our America
Website http://www.nbcfiz.com/[1]

National Beverage Corp. is an American beverage developer, manufacturer, and distributor based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, focused on flavored soft drinks.[1] National Beverage Corp. is ranked by Beverage Digest as the fifth-largest soft drink company in the United States.[3]

History

The company was formed in 1985 by Nick A. Caporella to fend off an unwanted acquisition by Victor Posner of Burnup & Sims Inc., an installer of cable television and telecommunications systems, through trading stock between the two companies to reduce Posner's ownership level. Caporella, now having an additional company, needed to have a business to go with it and acquired Shasta Beverages from Sara Lee Corporation in 1985 for $40 million USD in cash and Burnup & Sims shares. In order to make National a major player, Caporella purchased Faygo, a Midwest regional soft drink manufacturer, from Tree Sweet Products Corp. With its twelve bottling plants, National subsidiaries branched out into bottling store brands.[1]

In 1991, National Beverage went public to sell Burnup & Sims's shares in National Beverage which was partially successful. A Burnup & Sims stock holder sued due to Caporella's salary from Burnup and percentage of revenue from National Beverage, forcing Caporella to spend less time managing the company. In the early 1990s, Spree, an all-natural, carbonated soft drink, and Big Shot, a regional, multiflavored soft drink line, were acquired. In 1992, the US Navy contracted for the manufacture of "Sea", their ship store's brand. In the mid-1990s, juice producer, Everfresh Beverages Inc. and WinterBrook Corp., a carbonated and still water producer, became subsidiaries of National. WinterBrook brought three brands to the National Beverage group of companies: Cascadia, WinterBrook Clear, and LaCROIX. National acquired Home Juice Company, home of the Home Juice and Mr. Pure brands, at the end of the 1990s.[1]

Early 2000s, National purchased Beverage Canners International Inc., Ritz and Crystal Bay soft drinks and sparkling waters brands owner. In 2002, the Company changed its strategy by focusing on bottling their own brands and end private label bottling. National move to create new products for specific markets starting in 2003 with Shasta Shortz, a kid focused soda. Also that year, Fruitika, a fruit nectars line, went out to the stores. In 2004, Diet Shasta started using Splenda No Calorie Sweetener.[1]

National also launched new energy drink lines starting with Rip It, a general energy drink line. A woman-focused line, Chic, and Freek for teenagers and young adults followed.[1] National also tried a coffee-based energy drink, Double Hit.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "National Beverage." International Directory of Company Histories. The Gale Group, Inc, 2006. Answers.com 15 Jul. 2008.
  2. "National Beverage." Company Profile. Hoover's, Inc., 2008. Answers.com 15 Jul. 2008.
  3. "Top 10 CSD Companies & Brands for 2006" (PDF). Beverage Digest (Bedford Hills, NY: Beverage Digest Company, L.L.C.) 50 (5): 2. 2007-03-08. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
  4. "Double Hit Maximum Energy". Reviews. Bevnet.com. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
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