Polar Beverages - Late 1990s To 2005

Late 1990s To 2005

By 1998, Polar had outgrown its Route 290 facility and began looking for a new location in the New England area. After much consideration and many offers by other states, Polar decided to remain in Worcester out of loyalty to its employees and the local community. Polar’s decision to remain in Worcester ensured continued employment for over 600 local employees. For Polar’s renovation and restoration of the former Cookson Performance Plastics plant on Southbridge Street, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce awarded Polar with the Silver Hammer Award. In May 1999 Polar Beverages acquired Venture Distributing, the leading new-age distributor in the Boston marketplace. Venture’s portfolio included brands such as Nantucket Nectars and AriZona. This acquisition was followed shortly in 2001 with the purchase of Snapple of Boston and then Snapple of Cape Cod in 2005. By the end of the turn of the Twentieth Century, Polar had become a “super regional” beverage company. Polar had completed over thirty acquisitions expanding into five divisions and now consisting of proprietary brands Polar, Adirondack, Waist Watcher and Clear ‘n’ Natural and National brands 7Up, A&W, Sunkist, Seagrams, Royal Crown and Diet Rite along with new-age brands Snapple, AriZona, Fiji Water, O Water, HyDrive and Nantucket Nectars in addition to retailer private-label brands and finally home and office water.