Refresco
Refresco is a Dutch beverage manufacturer and bottler that produces private-label and contract-manufactured drinks for retailers and branded beverage companies.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Refresco is a Rotterdam-headquartered Dutch beverage producer whose principal business is manufacturing, bottling, and packaging drinks for supermarket private labels and for owners of established beverage brands. Unlike a conventional consumer brand, Refresco generally does not sell its output under a single prominent consumer-facing name. Instead, it operates behind the scenes as a large-scale beverage partner, supplying products that appear under retailer labels or under the brands of other beverage companies. The company’s roots lie in Dutch soft-drink production. Soft drinks were being made under the Liko name at the Menken dairy factory in Wassenaar in the early 1960s. Growing production led to the opening of a dedicated Liko facility in Bodegraven in 1970. In 1995, the Liko operation was renamed Menken Drinks. Refresco emerged from that business through a management buyout in 2000, establishing the corporate platform that later expanded through acquisitions across Europe and North America. Expansion has been a defining feature of Refresco’s development. The company acquired Dutch beverage producer Sun Beverages in 2007, adding production capacity in the Netherlands and Belgium. In 2009 it bought the Bavarian beverage company Schiffers Food. The acquisition of Germany-based Soft Drinks International in 2010 further increased the group’s turnover and strengthened its presence in the European soft-drinks market. In 2013, Refresco combined with Gerber Emig, a major European fruit-juice bottler headquartered in Bridgwater, England. The combined company operated under the Refresco Gerber name for a period, broadening Refresco’s capabilities in juices and expanding its geographic footprint. The Gerber Emig transaction also required a structural divestment. European Commission approval was granted on the condition that the German plant in Waibstadt be sold. That facility was subsequently transferred to the Riha WeserGold Group in 2014. Refresco continued its acquisition-led growth with the purchase of Dranken Industrie Sittard, also known as The Sittard Bottler DIS, in 2016. On 30 January 2018, it acquired Cott’s carbonated-soft-drink and juice bottling operations in North America, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. The transaction significantly increased Refresco’s production scale and strengthened its position as an international contract beverage manufacturer. Refresco’s product scope includes carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, fruit juices, energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, and plant-based drinks. Its manufacturing role can cover formulation, filling, packaging, and supply-chain services, enabling retail customers and brand owners to outsource part or all of their beverage production. The company’s scale is described in the supplied reference material as approximately 11.7 billion liters of annual processing volume and more than €4 billion in annual revenue, although the relevant reporting period and source details for those figures are not provided here. The company has also faced scrutiny over industrial groundwater use at its Maarheeze facility in the Netherlands. Under a permit dating from 1997, the site could pump up to 500,000 cubic meters of groundwater annually for beverage production. In 2018, Refresco applied to raise that ceiling to 750,000 cubic meters. The permit decision was challenged because it was considered inconsistent with North Brabant’s groundwater policy. During the legal dispute, the Maarheeze factory was closed. This episode illustrates the environmental and regulatory issues that can accompany large-scale beverage manufacturing. Today, Refresco is best understood as an international beverage-production platform rather than a conventional packaged-drinks brand. Its competitive proposition is based on manufacturing scale, broad beverage capabilities, geographic coverage, and the ability to serve retailers and branded-drink companies with products made to customer specifications.
History
Refresco developed from a Dutch soft-drinks operation associated with the Liko name. In the early 1960s, soft drinks were produced at the Menken dairy factory in Wassenaar. As demand and output grew, a dedicated Liko factory opened in Bodegraven in 1970. The business changed its name to Menken Drinks in 1995. Refresco was formed through a management buyout of Menken Drinks in 2000. From the beginning, its growth model centered on beverage manufacturing for other businesses rather than on building a large consumer-facing brand of its own. The company supplied supermarket private labels and produced drinks for owners of established beverage brands. The first major phase of expansion involved acquisitions in the Benelux and Germany. In 2007, Refresco acquired Netherlands-based Sun Beverages, extending its production footprint into additional Dutch and Belgian locations. Two years later it acquired Schiffers Food, a beverage company based in Bavaria. In 2010, Refresco bought Soft Drinks International, a German company; the transaction was reported to have added €140 million to turnover. A major strategic turning point came in 2013, when Refresco merged with Gerber Emig, a European fruit-juice bottler headquartered in Bridgwater, England. Under the transaction structure, Gerber Emig shareholders received 30% of the combined company and existing Refresco shareholders retained 70%. European Commission approval required the disposal of Gerber Emig’s German operation in Waibstadt. That plant was sold to the Riha WeserGold Group in 2014. The combined businesses operated under the Refresco Gerber name during the integration period. Refresco continued consolidating beverage capacity in 2016 by acquiring Dranken Industrie Sittard, also known as The Sittard Bottler DIS, for a reported €72 million. The acquisition reinforced the company’s Dutch production base and added further bottling capabilities. On 30 January 2018, Refresco acquired Cott’s carbonated soft-drink and juice bottling operations in North America, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. The reported purchase price was US$1.25 billion. This transaction materially increased Refresco’s geographic reach and made the company a larger international partner for retailers and branded beverage companies. Refresco was listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange from 2015 to 2017. The supplied material does not establish the circumstances of its departure from the market or its current ownership structure. The company’s manufacturing activities have also generated regulatory scrutiny. At Maarheeze in the Netherlands, Refresco operated under a 1997 permit allowing annual groundwater extraction of up to 500,000 cubic meters for beverage production. In 2018, it sought permission to increase that amount by half, to 750,000 cubic meters. The resulting permit was regarded as inconsistent with North Brabant’s groundwater policy, and the Maarheeze factory was closed during the court case. Refresco’s historical evolution therefore combines three strands: the transformation of a Dutch soft-drinks producer into a multinational manufacturing group, acquisition-led expansion into juices and additional beverage categories, and increasing attention to the environmental and regulatory consequences of high-volume beverage production.
- 2018
Cott bottling operations acquired
[1]Refresco acquired Cott’s carbonated-soft-drink and juice bottling businesses in North America, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.
- 2018
Maarheeze groundwater dispute
[1]Refresco sought a higher groundwater-extraction limit for its Maarheeze factory, prompting a regulatory and legal dispute.
- 2017
Amsterdam listing period ends
[1]The supplied reference states that Refresco was listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange through 2017.
- 2016
Dranken Industrie Sittard acquired
[1]Refresco acquired The Sittard Bottler DIS, also known as Dranken Industrie Sittard.
- 2015
Amsterdam stock-market listing begins
[1]Refresco was listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange during the period beginning in 2015.
- 2014
Waibstadt facility sold
[1]The German Waibstadt juice facility was sold to the Riha WeserGold Group following a European Commission condition attached to the Gerber Emig transaction.
- 2013
Merger with Gerber Emig
[1]Refresco merged with European fruit-juice bottler Gerber Emig, creating a broader beverage manufacturing group.
- 2010
Soft Drinks International acquired
[1]The acquisition of the German company Soft Drinks International was reported to add €140 million to turnover.
- 2009
Schiffers Food acquired
[1]Refresco acquired the Bavaria-based beverage company Schiffers Food.
- 2007
Sun Beverages acquired
[1]The acquisition expanded Refresco’s production presence in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Products and positioning
A large-scale, multi-category beverage manufacturer and contract bottler serving supermarket private labels and established beverage brands rather than primarily marketing drinks under its own consumer brand.
Non-alcoholic beverages
Carbonated soft drinks
Refresco manufactures carbonated soft drinks for supermarket private labels and for branded beverage companies. Production is generally performed to customer specifications, with the finished drinks marketed under the customer’s label or brand rather than under Refresco’s own consumer name.
Water
Bottled water
Bottled water is one of Refresco’s manufacturing categories. The company supplies water products for retail and other beverage customers, using its production and packaging network to support private-label and contract-manufacturing arrangements.
Juice · 2013
Fruit juices
Fruit juice became a more significant part of Refresco’s portfolio through the 2013 merger with Gerber Emig and later expansion of juice-bottling operations. Products are made for retailers and beverage-brand owners rather than principally sold as Refresco-branded drinks.
Functional beverages
Energy drinks
Refresco lists energy drinks among the beverage types it produces. Its role is that of a contract and private-label manufacturer, covering production and packaging for customers that market the finished products.
Alcoholic beverages
Alcoholic beverages
The company’s manufacturing scope includes alcoholic beverages in addition to soft drinks, water, juices, and other non-alcoholic categories. Specific alcoholic product brands and formats are not identified in the supplied material.
Plant-based beverages
Plant-based drinks
Plant-based beverages are part of Refresco’s broader beverage portfolio. As with its other categories, the company primarily supplies these drinks through private-label and contract-manufacturing relationships.
Brand decisions
2018
Acquire Cott bottling operationsM&ABackground
Refresco pursued a major expansion of its international contract-manufacturing footprint and beverage-category capabilities.
Action taken
On 30 January 2018, Refresco acquired Cott’s carbonated-soft-drink and juice bottling businesses in North America, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded Refresco’s geographic presence and production scale across Europe and the Americas.
Reported transaction value. US$1.25 billion (2018 transaction)
2018
Apply to increase Maarheeze groundwater extractionOtherBackground
Refresco’s Maarheeze beverage factory operated under a 1997 permit allowing annual groundwater extraction of up to 500,000 cubic meters.
Action taken
Refresco applied to raise the permitted annual extraction volume by 50%, to 750,000 cubic meters.
Aftermath
The permit was considered inconsistent with North Brabant’s groundwater policy, and the Maarheeze factory was closed during the associated court proceedings.
2013
Merge with Gerber EmigM&ABackground
Refresco sought to broaden its beverage manufacturing platform by combining with Gerber Emig, a European fruit-juice bottler.
Action taken
The companies merged, with Gerber Emig shareholders receiving 30% of the combined company and Refresco shareholders retaining 70%. The combined business operated as Refresco Gerber.
Aftermath
European Commission approval required the sale of Gerber Emig’s Waibstadt operation, which was sold to Riha WeserGold Group in 2014.
Recent events
- 2018
Refresco acquires Cott beverage bottling businesses[1]
M&A
Refresco completed the acquisition of Cott’s carbonated soft-drink and juice bottling operations in North America, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. The transaction expanded Refresco’s international production network and beverage portfolio.
- 2018
Refresco groundwater permit dispute at Maarheeze[1]
Regulation · Other
Refresco applied to increase permitted groundwater extraction at its Maarheeze factory from 500,000 to 750,000 cubic meters annually. The permit decision conflicted with North Brabant’s groundwater policy, and the factory was closed during the court proceedings.
Sources4 sources
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