Staying on top of soft drink distributors and wholesalers news and trends helps you determine whether the companies you do business with are still key players and also alerts you to events that could impact your customers' future sales.

Common issues you can expect to find as you search for soft drink distributors and wholesalers news and trends include government regulations that limit the kinds of beverages schools can serve, the possibility of new taxes on beverage containers and consumers' health concerns over popular beverages.

1. Access articles about a major beverage supplier published in beverage association journals.

2. Read more about everyday news events that could impact the business outlook of a beverage wholesaler.

3. Go to websites maintained by leading beverage distributors to view their annual reports and learn about new product releases.

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Read articles published by well-known beverage distributors associations

Online beverage association journals not only report news affecting beverage companies, they also provide insightful commentary analyzing the impact of government regulations and other events affecting the industry.

I recommend: Check out the news and resources page at the American Beverage Association website in order to research the past and current issues affecting soft drink manufacturers. The Kentucky Beverage Association reports on contracts between schools and beverage companies and on how new laws may affect the wholesale beverage business. The Colorado Beverage Association provides stories of local interest to beverage retailers in that state.

Follow everyday events reported in news articles about beer and soft drink distributors

You may need to know whether the bar you supply to must comply with new government regulations that could affect its sales. Or, you may want to find out what consumers identify as the latest health and wellness concern over soft drinks.

I recommend: Review press releases posted by the National Beer Wholesaler's Association to stay informed of events impacting beer manufacturers and suppliers. Beverage Media Group tracks local and national events that affect bars, convenience stores and supermarkets. A frequent topic of news articles at Natural News.com relates to consumers' health concerns over commercial beverages.

Access the website of a leading soda wholesale company to find out about new products

If your business depends on knowing about new products made by the top-selling soda distributors, there's no better way than to check out the press releases of those major companies.

I recommend: The Coca Cola website makes its press releases available online. You can find out about the company's new products and learn more about its financial solvency. Read the news page at PepsiCo to find out about the company's community involvement projects and new product releases. You can also get a glimpse of PepsiCo’s annual reports.

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Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A frequent news topic for any major beverage distributor involves its business outlook. A good measure of a company's continued success is whether it projects its future earnings to improve or remain the same as in the past.

Beverage wholesalers provide products to the beverage distributors which in turn "distribute" the products to retail outlets. This allows for a wider market to be covered and maintained more efficiently.

Soft drink distributors and wholesalers are an important asset to a business. Beverage distributing and wholesaling is a multimillion dollar business. It is not limited to soft drink distributors, but also includes water, coffee, tea, beer and a plethora of energy and sport drinks.

Securing a dependable beverage distributor is a key step. Many beverage distributors specialize in a specific market such as soda distributors. Finding the right drink supplier is an important choice and depends on which market is ultimately involved.

Consider these points when searching for beverage wholesalers and beverage distributors:

1. Beverage wholesaler can also be the beverage distributor;

2. Discount soda supplier;

3. Beverage distributor for coffee and tea.

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Select beverage wholesalers and distributors

Soda distributors are often also the soda wholesale company. Such is the case with the two giants of the industry Coca-Cola and Pepsi. They provide product to every market whether it is food service or retail sales.

I recommend: Pepsi and Coca-Cola both provide the beverages for sale and the equipment needed to be successful, whether the choice is fountain drink dispensers or bottles and cans. Sysco and US Foodservice also provide beverage distribution.

Use a discount soda supplier

Employers can use discount soda for vending machines in the workplace. This can be a cost effective and convenient way to provide beverages to employees in addition to the standard tea and coffee choices.

I recommend: Discount clubs are the best places to purchase discount soda. Two of the most popular discount clubs available are Sam's Club and Costco.

Locate beverage distributors for coffee and tea

Coffee and tea are staples both in the workplace and in the food service industry. With the emergence of coffeehouses it seems that Americans cannot get enough of the eye-opening brew.

I recommend: Jelks Coffee provides a wide variety of flavored coffee. Coffee and supplies can also be obtained from Van Houtte Cafe which gives new clients a free trial offer. Tea Forte distributes high quality, natural teas, in a wide array of flavors.

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• •  Beverage distribution is a highly competitive business. Many suppliers will provide equipment, signs and special discounts in order to promote their product.

Making the most of soft drink distributors and wholesalers means knowing which supplier is best suited to market your company's commercial beverages. If you're a water manufacturer who's looking to expand into different markets, you'll need to find a beverage distributor who can warehouse a large inventory of your product and then supply it to local wholesalers.

Some soft drink distributors limit their product line to carbonated beverages and some focus their marketing efforts on promoting specialty beverages, such as sodas made of natural ingredients only. Consider each company's track record and current focus as you search for soft drink distributors and wholesalers:

1. Deal with a large beverage distributor who can warehouse and market drinks in certain regions.

2. Focus on a wholesale beverage supplier that specializes in either carbonated or non-carbonated drinks.

3. Choose soft drink distributors that sell to companies abroad and who partner with regional wholesalers.

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Find beverage distributors and suppliers who can handle a wide variety of commercial beverages

Seek out beverage wholesalers that can produce carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. These companies can also warehouse and distribute your product throughout a large geographic region.

I recommend: New York-based Adirondack supplies commercial beverages to the entire northeastern part of the United States. They handle sodas, seltzers and bottled water. Contact Nutrisoda if you're looking to distribute sodas made of natural fruits that do not have artificial ingredients. Use a company like Big World Beverages if you need to distribute carbonated and non-carbonated drinks worldwide.

Choose soda distributors that specialize in carbonated or non-carbonated beverages

A wholesale drinks distributor that focuses on sodas is perfect for a business that produces only carbonated drinks. Reach out for one of these distributors if you need an independent bottler that can sell various brands to wholesalers in any state.

I recommend: Big Red is based in Texas and has been distributing sodas nationwide since 1937. Cott distributes many brands of United States-produced sodas to at least 60 countries. It sells to the world's leading beverage wholesalers. Contact Dad's Root Beer to deal with soda distributors that carry root beer beverages in a variety of bottle sizes.

Select a soda wholesale company recognized as a primary beverage supplier in the United States

Deal with a soda wholesale company if you must import or export discount soda. Know the kinds of products the soda wholesale company sells and its geographic organization in order to drive your company's sales.

I recommend: Dollaritem.com imports and exports many brands of discount soda in a wide variety of bottle sizes. Access the JM Import website to find out about European soft drinks imported into the United States.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Some nationwide soft drink distributors will partner with local beverage wholesalers to market specialty or seasonal beverages.

As a soft drink distributor or wholesaler, you need to know more about soft drinks than just their brand name. It is important to know the market you are selling to as well as the manufacturing process. To help you make the right choices for your business, familiarize yourself with some soft drink distributors and wholesalers key terms.

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Aspartame

Aspartame is a no calorie, synthetic sweetener used to sweeten diet soft drinks.

I recommend: The Calorie Control Council provides information on the many uses of aspartame.

Cola or kola nut

The cola or kola nut is from of tree native to Africa. The nut is a natural source of caffeine and was once used in many soft drinks. Currently, only a select few still use the nut instead of artificial flavoring.

I recommend: Botanical.com details the history and evolution of the cola nut.

Saponins

Saponins are used in some soft drinks to increase the amount of foam on top.

I recommend: Phytochemicals describes the specifics of saponins.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a polymer resin used to make many soft drink bottles. The material is shatter-proof making it ideal for beverage bottling.

I recommend: Technology Student explains plastics that are used for a variety of purposes, including PET.

Soda, pop, or coke

Soft drinks are also referred to as soda, pop, or coke depending on the area of the country. The term soda references soda-water, coke is a term used in reference to the popular soft drink can refer to soft drinks in general, and pop came from the 'popping' of the cork when soft drinks were first introduced.

I recommend: Alan McConchie did extensive research on generic terms for soft drinks that are used around the country.

Proportioner

The proportioner keeps the soft drinks flowing during the manufacturing process and assures that the proportions of all of the ingredients in the beverages stay in the appropriate ranges.

I recommend: How Products Are Made describes the process of making soft drinks and how proportioners fit into the process.