Frucor Suntory
{{short description|Beverage company}}
{{redirect|NZ Natural|the ice cream company|New Zealand Natural}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Frucor Suntory Beverages Limited
| logo = Frucor Suntory logo.png
| logo_size =
| type = Subsidiary
| parent = Suntory
| foundation = {{sda|1962}}
| founder = NZ Apple and Pear Board
| location_city = Auckland
| location_country = New Zealand
| area_served = New Zealand
Australia
Netherlands
Spain
United Kingdom
Argentina
Sweden
Indonesia
Japan
| key_people = {{ubl
|Darren Fullerton (CEO)
|Tsutomu Santoki (CFO)
}}
| industry = Beverage
| products = V Energy Drink, Mizone, Just Juice, Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Boss Coffee, Maximus, Rockstar, Gatorade, NZ Natural, FreshUp, Mountain Dew, 7 Up, The Real McCoy, h2go, Ribena, Lucozade, G-Force, Up & Go {{cite web |url=https://www.frucorsuntory.com/our-brands/ |title=Our brands |publisher=Frucor |accessdate=June 22, 2023}}
| services = Distributor and Manufacturer of Non-Alcoholic Beverages
| num_employees = 800 (as of 2014){{cite web|url=http://prwire.com.au/pr/21720/frucor|title=Frucor Win|date=2011-01-18|publisher=prwire.com.au|accessdate=2013-11-07}}
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.frucorsuntory.com}}
}}
Frucor Suntory Beverages Limited is a Japanese-owned beverage company operating in Australasia, and headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. The company is known for its V energy drink launched in 1997, which is sold across the world including Europe, South Africa and Argentina.{{cite news|last=Gregor|first=Kelly|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/spain/news/article.cfm?l_id=96&objectid=10700302|title=Frucor unleashes bestseller V on Spain's energy drink market|date=2011-01-18|publisher=nzherald.co.nz|accessdate=2013-11-07}} Frucor has joint partners PepsiCo, Danone, and Sanitarium so their products are marketed by Frucor.
History
Frucor was founded by New Zealand Apple and Pear Board in 1962 and released their first product, Fresh Up.{{cite news|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/frucor-pouring-all-energies-into-v-4253085|title=Frucor pouring all energies into V|date=2011-06-21|publisher=tvnz.co.nz|accessdate=2013-11-07}}{{cite web|url=http://www.frucor.co.nz/index.php/our_company/history/|title=Our company - History|publisher=frucor.com|accessdate=2013-11-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209003903/http://www.frucor.co.nz/index.php/our_company/history|archive-date=9 February 2013|url-status=dead}} In 1978, New Zealand Olympic track runner John Walker endorsed the Fresh Up product, with the catchphrase "Fresh Up – it's got to be good for you'".{{cite web|author=Geoff Watson|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/38004/john-walker-in-fresh-up-advertisement|title=John Walker in Fresh Up advertisement|publisher=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand|accessdate=2013-11-07}} Frucor was owned by New Zealand Apple and Pear Board until 1998, when it was purchased for $50 million by Pacific Equity Partners.{{cite news|last=De Boni|first=Dita|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=137786|title=Frucor offers juicy share float|date=2000-05-22|publisher=nzherald.co.nz|accessdate=2013-11-07}} In 1999 Frucor became the exclusive bottler for Pepsi products in New Zealand.{{cite news|last=De Boni|first=Dita|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=16253|title=Frucor takes can-do franchise approach|date=1999-10-19|publisher=nzherald.co.nz|accessdate=2013-11-07}} In 2000 Frucor launched V in the UK and Ireland manufactured in the Netherlands.{{Cite web|title=Early UK Sales Figures Bode Well For Frucor {{!}} Scoop News|url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0007/S00148/early-uk-sales-figures-bode-well-for-frucor.htm|access-date=2021-02-23|website=www.scoop.co.nz}}
In 2001, Forbes named Frucor in its Top 20 Companies of 2002.{{cite news|last1=Christy|first1=John H.|last2=Kirkman|first2=Alexandra|url=https://www.forbes.com/global/2001/1029/025.html|title=20 for 2002|date=2001-10-29|work=forbes.com|accessdate=2013-11-07}} In January 2002, Groupe Danone purchased Frucor{{cite news|last=McMillan|first=Alex Frew|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/asia/01/20/nz.frucor/|title= Danone wins juicy Frucor victory|date=2002-01-21|publisher=cnn.com|accessdate=2013-11-07}} for $294 million after bidding since October 2001{{cite news|last=Hiscock|first=Geoff|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2001/BUSINESS/asia/10/24/nz.danone.biz/index.html?related|title=Danone bids $123M for NZ's Frucor|date=2001-10-24|publisher=cnn.com|accessdate=2013-11-07}} and being rejected by Frucor in the beginning.{{cite news|last=Read|first=Ellen|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=228539|title='Non' likely reply to Danone offer|date=2001-11-16|publisher=nzherald.co.nz|accessdate=2013-11-07}} That same year, Frucor acquired the Australian fruit juice company Spring Valley from Bonlac Foods (now Fonterra).{{cite news|agency=New Zealand Press Association|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=163481|title=Frucor buys from Bonlac|date=2000-12-07|publisher=nzherald.co.nz|accessdate=2013-11-07}}
In 2007, Frucor partnered with MySpace to host a job promotions campaign with participants Rolling Stone, Billabong. The collaboration with MySpace and the job promoters was the first of its type in Australia.{{cite news|last=Canning|first=Simon|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/v-deal-creates-a-job-buzz/story-e6frg996-1111113503295|title=V deal creates a job buzz|date=2007-05-10|publisher=theaustralian.com.au|accessdate=2013-11-07}} In October 2008, Groupe Danone sold Frucor to Japanese company Suntory for over €600 million.{{cite news|url=http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/frucor-deal-finally-can-40272|title=Frucor deal finally in the can|last=Swann|first=Allan|date=2009-02-03|accessdate=2013-11-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010155456/https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/frucor-deal-finally-can-40272|archive-date=2017-10-10|publisher=nbr.co.nz}}
In January 2011, Frucor launched the V brand in Spain, where by June, was already being sold in 8,000 outlets.
In 2013, Frucor sponsored the IGN Australia Black Beta Select Awards.{{cite news|last=Wildgoose|first=David|url=http://www.mcvpacific.com/news/read/ign-partners-with-frucor-for-game-of-the-year-awards/0125343|title=IGN partners with Frucor for game of the year awards|date=2013-12-05|publisher=mcvpacific.com|accessdate=2013-12-09|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212182546/http://www.mcvpacific.com/news/read/ign-partners-with-frucor-for-game-of-the-year-awards/0125343|url-status=dead}} In June 2017 Frucor Beverages was renamed Frucor Suntory to align better with its parent company Suntory.{{cite web | url=https://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2017/06/28/frucor-beverages-changes-its-name.html | title=Frucor Beverages changes its name | publisher=Australian Food News |first=Andrea |last=Hogan | date=2017-06-28 | accessdate=2020-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213033341/https://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2017/06/28/frucor-beverages-changes-its-name.html |archive-date=2020-02-13 |url-status=live}}
Products
Frucor Suntory's diversified portfolio of products includes carbonated soft drinks, spring water, sports drink and energy drinks, fruit juices, iced tea, flavoured milk, coffee, tea and alcohol. Frucor Suntory distributes a number of sparkling, still and other non-alcoholic beverages. Some of these include:{{Cite web|url=https://www.frucorsuntory.com/brands-nz/|title = Our Brands}}
- V (drink)
- Boss Coffee
- Maximus (Sports drink)
- Ribena
- Mccoy
- Just Juice
- Fresh-Up
- Pepsi Max
- Pepsi
- Mountain Dew
- 7Up
- Gatorade
- Rockstar Energy Drinks
- Lucozade
- NZ Natural
- h2go
- Mizone
- GForce
- Up & Go
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.frucor.co.nz/}}
{{Suntory}}
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1962
Category:Beverage companies of New Zealand
Category:Manufacturing companies based in Auckland
Category:Food and drink companies based in Auckland
Category:New Zealand subsidiaries of foreign companies
Category:1962 establishments in New Zealand
Category:2002 mergers and acquisitions