(August 26, 2008)—Dr Pepper, which was invented in 1885 in Waco, is buying a minority interest in privately owned Big Red, Inc., the maker of the popular soft drink Big Red which was invented in 1937 in Waco.
Big Red was first called Sun Tang Red Cream Soda.
The Big Red trademark was registered in 1969.
Big Red, Inc. also markets Big Peach, Big Pineapple, Big Punch and other flavored soft drink brands.
Dr Pepper Snapple is the largest distributor of Big Red Products in the U.S., the group said in a press release Tuesday.
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Allied brands are an important part of our overall route to market strategy, enabling us to enhance our own brand portfolio with strong regional players like Big Red whose consumer base overlaps well with our bottling and distribution footprint," said Rodger Collins, president of Dr Pepper Snapple Bottling Group.
"Taking an equity stake in allied brands gives us a greater opportunity to participate in their marketing, growth and long-term success."
"Dr Pepper Snapple's bottling operations have been a key part of Big Red's success for more than 20 years, and we are very pleased to be taking our partnership with them to a new level through this agreement," said Gary Smith, chairman and CEO of Big Red, Inc.
"DPS is the leading flavored CSD company in the industry, which is why it makes perfect sense for them to have an equity stake in our business. We're looking forward to working with them to unleash the full potential of Big Red."
Read The Full Announcement
Dr Pepper Snapple Web Site
Big Red Web Site