A.G. Barr plc, commonly known as Barr’s, is a soft drink manufacturer based in Cumbernauld, Scotland. It is widely known for manufacturing the drink Irn-Bru. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
The company was founded in 1875 by Robert Barr in Falkirk. In 1887, his son, Robert Fulton Barr, set up a division of the original company in Glasgow, which had a much larger population. In 1892 the Glasgow branch passed to Andrew Greig Barr (where the name A.G. Barr comes from), a brother of the branch’s founder. The Falkirk and Glasgow divisions merged in 1959, and the company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1965.
In 1972, A.G. Barr acquired the Tizer brand. In 2001 the company acquired Findlays Mineral Water which is sourced in the Lammermuir Hills. In 2002 Roger White joined A.G. Barr as managing director, and in 2004 became the first chief executive from outside the Barr family.
The Company acquired Forfar-based Strathmore Mineral Water in May 2006. The Irn-Bru 32 energy drink variant was launched in 2006. In 2008 the company purchased the Taut sports drink range and exotic fruit drink company Rubicon.
In November 2012, the company agreed to merge with Britvic, which produces drinks like J2O, Tango and Robinsons, as well as holding the authority to produce Pepsi for the UK market, to create one of Europe’s largest soft drinks companies. The merger was abandoned in July 2013.
Type: Public limited company
Traded as LSE: BAG
Industry: Soft drink
Founded: 1875; 145 years ago
Founder: Robert Barr
Headquarters: Cumbernauld, Scotland, UK
Website: www.agbarr.co.uk