Primo Water Corporation is an American-Canadian beverage and food service company based in Mississauga, Ontario. Cott's platform across North America and Europe is supported by sales and distribution facilities and fleets, as well as wholesalers and distributors, servicing residences, businesses, restaurant chains, hotels and motels, small and large retailers, and healthcare facilities. In bottled water, Cott offers brands including Sparkletts, Hinckley Springs, Kentwood Springs, Canadian Springs, Labrador, and Eden Springs. In-office coffee services, Cott offers products under brands including Keurig, Mars Alterra, Starbucks Coffee, Caribou Coffee, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Javarama, and Lavazza. In coffee roasting and tea blending, Cott sells the majority of its manufactured coffee and tea products under retailer or food service brands to customers who own the trademarks associated with those products. In March 2020, Cott acquired Primo Water Corporation and changed its name to Primo Water Corporation and changed its ticker symbols to and.
History
Cott Beverage Corporation was founded in 1923 by Solomon Cott, a Polish immigrant, with his sons Harry, Barney, Jack and Albert in Port Chester, New York. Harry Pencer, a clothier from Montreal, Quebec, began to import Cott sodas into Quebec in 1952. In 1955, Pencer acquired the Canadian rights to the Cott label and established Cott Beverages Ltd., to bottle the Cott line of sodas. From 1976 to 1991, Cott expanded its distribution throughout Canada and back into the U.S. and into Europe. In 1969, the name was changed to Cott Beverages Ltd., and in 1991 to Cott Corporation. In October 2000, Concord Beverages, with its Vintage brand seltzer water, was acquired from Honickman Group. Cott lost the Wal-Martsoda pop exclusive contract in 2009. In July 2010, Cott announced its acquisition of Cliffstar Corporation, a US supplier of store-branded juice beverages. In May 2014, Cott completed the acquisition of Aimia Foods Limited, a privately-held producer and distributor of hot chocolate, coffee and powdered beverages primarily through food service, vending and retail channels, and a producer of hot and cold cereal products on a contract manufacturing basis located in Merseyside, United Kingdom. In November 2014, Cott announced it had agreed to a deal to acquire U.S. direct-to-consumer bottled water and coffee distributor DSS Group Inc. for aggregate consideration of $1.25 billion. In December 2014, Cott completed the acquisition of DSS Group, Inc. a bottled water and coffee direct-to-consumer home and office delivery services provider in the United States. The aggregate consideration was approximately $1.25 billion. In January 2016, Cott completed the acquisition of Aquaterra, a Canadian bottled water and coffee direct-to-consumer home and office delivery services provider. The initial purchase price paid by Cott was approximately C$62 million. In June 2016, Cott announced it had agreed to a deal to acquire Eden Springs, In October 2018, Cott announced the acquisition of Mountain Valley Spring Company from Great Range Capital for $78.5 million. through its subsidiary DS Services.
