Britvic : welcomes local MP to redeveloped Rugby site following multi-million pound investment

29 Aug 2018

29th August 2018: Leading soft drinks company Britvic today welcomed Mark Pawsey, MP for Rugby and Bulkington, to its site in Rugby to find out more about the company's investment in the site and for a behind the scenes tour of its redeveloped facility.

Britvic is investing more than £100milllion in the Rugby site as part of a broader £240m three-year investment programme in its GB manufacturing capability. The investment, announced by the company in 2015, is designed to step-change the speed and flexibility of its production lines whilst delivering environmental benefits through greater efficiencies.

As part of the investment in Rugby, Britvic has installed three new PET bottling lines, a new on-site warehouse and an aseptic line to manufacture preservative-free drinks, which will improve logistics planning and reduce road miles, helping the company to reduce its carbon footprint. In addition, the company has introduced three new can lines which are amongst the fastest in the Europe, collectively producing up to 6,000 cans per minute. The state-of-the-art design has led to a reduction in waste, significantly increased production, and gives greater flexibility meaning cans can now be made from aluminium or steel on the same line. This year, Britvic's steel can formats have also moved to aluminium cans, enabling Britvic to reduce the amount of metal it uses annually by 8,000 tonnes.

Britvic announced earlier this year the creation of c.80 new jobs at the site, which includes technical operators, engineers and team leaders.

Mark Pawsey MP met with Britvic colleagues, including Director of Production Jeremy Howard, and was taken on a tour of the factory which has been home to Britvic for more than 30 years and employs nearly 300 people. Mr Pawsey saw first-hand the production of its iconic brands, which include Purdey's and Tango, on its can lines.

Mark Pawsey, MP for Rugby and Bulkington commented: 'I was delighted to join Jeremy and his colleagues today at Britvic's redeveloped site in the heart of Rugby. Britvic has been a major employer in the constituency for many years and I was very interested to find out more about how their investment is helping to reduce the amount of material they use when manufacturing their world famous brands.'

Jeremy Howard, Director of Production at Britvic, commented: 'We are delighted to welcome Mr. Pawsey to our Rugby site today to see our new state-of-the-art manufacturing and logistics capability. It is a proud moment for the team here and for all our partners who have supported us in our ambition to create a world-class manufacturing site.

'Sustainability remains at the heart of our business and this project. Through our GB investment programme, we are investing for the future and remain committed to continuing to make a positive difference to our communities and to the world around us - helping to make it healthier, happier, and more sustainable.'

Britvic's sustainability strategy, 'A Healthier Everyday', is fully integrated into the company's investment in manufacturing programme. It focuses on three key areas including:

• Healthier People: helping consumers to make healthier choices and live healthier lives
• Healthier Communities: helping our employees and communities to thrive
• Healthier Planet: helping to secure our planet's future

The 'Healthier Planet' element sets out Britvic's commitment to help secure the planet's future, ensuring that resources are used responsibly, and the natural world is protected. The focus is on resource efficiency, minimising the environmental impact of packaging and operating a sustainable supply chain.

Recent milestones:

• 100% of Britvic's PET plastic bottles are recyclable in the UK recycling system
• Recent investment in new bottling lines eliminated over 300 tonnes of plastic bottle packaging in GB
• 99% of global manufacturing waste generated was diverted from landfill
• It achieved a 5% reduction in carbon emissions relative to production compared to 2016
• Water ratio (water consumption relative to production) from 2016 was maintained despite the commissioning of new lines
• Britvic was shortlisted for the 2017 GreenFleet Awards in the 'Private Sector Fleet of the Year' category for its work to promote the use of alternative fuel vehicles across its fleet. Work included installing charging points across its sites in Great Britain, and actively engaging with employees to demonstrate the total cost/benefit of hybrid vehicles.
• Britvic was a founding signatory of The UK Plastics Pact, a pioneering agreement which aims to transform the plastic packaging system in the UK and keep plastic in the economy and out of the ocean.
• Britvic is investing £850,000 a year in UK recycling infrastructure through its commitment to only purchase domestic Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) from UK recyclers.

2020 Goals:

• Reduce carbon emissions relative to production across Britvic's global manufacturing sites by 15% vs 2016 baseline (5% emissions reduction achieved in 2017)
• Achieve a water ratio (water consumption relative to production) of 1.4 across its global manufacturing operations (water ratio was 2.15 in 2017)
• Achieve zero waste to landfill across its global manufacturing sites (99% in 2017)
• Reduce the amount of materials used across all packaging formats, introduce recycled PET (rPET) into the GB portfolio at 15% content (300 tonnes of plastic packaging eliminated in GB in 2017).

Ends

Notes to Editors
For more information, please contact Becky Cagney at: [e-mail] / 07808 097 739

About Britvic
Britvic is one of the leading branded soft drinks businesses in Europe and South America. Britvic currently operates in and exports to over 50 countries and is the largest supplier of branded still soft drinks in Great Britain ('GB') and the number two supplier of branded carbonated soft drinks in GB. Britvic is an industry leader in the island of Ireland with brands such as MiWadi and Ballygowan, in France with brands such as Teisseire and Pressade and in Brazil with Maguary, Dafruta and Bela Ischia.

The company combines its own leading brand portfolio including Robinsons, Purdey's, drench, Tango, J2O, Fruit Shoot, Teisseire, Maguary, Dafruta, Bela Ischia, Ballygowan and MiWadi with PepsiCo brands such as Pepsi, 7UP and Lipton Ice Tea which Britvic produces and sells in GB and Ireland under exclusive PepsiCo agreements.

Britvic's management team has successfully developed the business through a clear strategy of generating profitable growth in our core markets and international expansion, driven by innovation, investment in our business capability, and building trust and respect in the communities we serve and operate in. The strategy is based on creating and building a portfolio of scalable brands that offers drinks for kids, families, and adults, anywhere, at any time - helping to make everyone's every day moments more enjoyable.

Britvic is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the code BVIC and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.

About the Rugby site:

• Britvic acquired the site in 1987. It was previously owned by Schweppes.
• Britvic's first aseptic line was built at Rugby in 2007, producing the first of Britvic's non-preservative products (2007).
• The Rugby site produces all Pepsi/Britvic cans sold in GB - even in the skies with Ryanair contract.
• Britvic and PepsiCo products currently manufactured at Rugby include:
  • Tango (orange, apple, cherry)
  • Fruit Shoot
  • Britvic Orange Juice
  • Britvic Mixers (Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, Tonic Water, Tomato Juice)
  • Purdy's, Purdy's Edge
  • Pepsi Brand (Pepsi, Pepsi MAX, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi MAX Ginger, Pepsi MAX Cherry)
  • 7UP, 7UP Free
  • Lipton Ice Tea
  • Sobe V Water
  • Drench
  • Robinsons Refreshed
  • Aqua Libra