What Refresco does

Refresco is a Dutch-headquartered global independent beverage solutions provider and contract manufacturer (co-packer) serving retailers, club stores, foodservice operators, and out-of-home channels. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Rotterdam, the company operates more than 75 manufacturing facilities across Europe, North America, Australia, and the Nordic region, producing private-label and customer-specific non-alcoholic beverages. Refresco is privately held and majority-owned by private equity firm KKR, with reported annual revenue of $6.9 billion (FY2025) and a workforce exceeding 10,000. Following its 2026 acquisition of SunOpta, Refresco expanded into plant-based beverages, nutritional drinks, broth, and better-for-you snacks, complementing its traditional private-label beverage manufacturing core.

The company's core technology centers on advanced aseptic manufacturing capabilities that enable production of plant-based beverages, nutritional drinks, tea, broth, and better-for-you snacks with extended shelf life, supported by sustainable packaging innovations. Refresco has deployed the Sidel EvoBLOW Laser Technology at its German facility, replacing traditional halogen-based heating with laser-powered precision heating for PET bottle production to achieve up to 15% material reduction in 1.5L PET bottles and support up to 100% recycled PET content. At its Omak, Washington facility (acquired through SunOpta), the company invested $25+ million to expand production of better-for-you fruit snacks, delivering a 25% capacity increase. The company does not operate consumer brands, instead functioning as an independent co-manufacturer that does not compete with its retail customers' private-label programs.

Refresco's business model is B2B contract manufacturing with transaction-fee revenue derived from production volumes across its diversified channel mix. Pricing is contract-based and not publicly disclosed. The company pursues an aggressive acquisition-driven growth strategy under KKR's sponsorship, with recent completed deals including Tru Blu Beverages (Australia, 2022), Frías Nutrición (Spain, 2024), Telemark Kildevann (Norway, 2025), and the transformative ~$1.1 billion enterprise value SunOpta acquisition (closed May 2026), alongside selective footprint rationalization such as the closure of its Walla Walla, Washington facility. Customer engagement is sales-led through direct enterprise relationships with major retailers, warehouse club operators, foodservice chains, and out-of-home channel partners.

Name

Refresco

Legal name

Refresco Group B.V.

Website

https://refresco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Refresco is a Rotterdam-headquartered independent global beverage solutions provider operating 75+ manufacturing facilities, producing private-label and plant-based beverages, nutritional drinks, and snacks for retailers, club stores, foodservice, and out-of-home channels under KKR majority ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Beverage Manufacturing

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Refrigerated Juices & Smoothies (CRADACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigerated Ready-to-Eat Foods (Deli Salads, Sandwiches, Meal Kits) (CRADACAH), Reusable & Refill Packaging Systems (Returnable Packaging, Refill-at-Home/In-Store) (IMALAMAE), Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE)

Keywords

• Beverage contract manufacturing
• Private label beverages
• Plant-based drinks
• Co-packing services
• Aseptic beverage production

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Beverage Contract Manufacturing: B2B beverage solutions providing co-manufacturing services for retailers, club stores, foodservice operators, and out-of-home channels. Operates as an independent beverage solutions provider manufacturing private-label and customer-specific beverages.
2. Plant-Based Beverage Production: Manufacturing of plant-based beverages, nutritional products, tea, broth, and better-for-you snacks following the acquisition of SunOpta.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Refresco is a global independent beverage solutions provider that manufactures, co-packs, and supplies non-alcoholic beverages for retailer private labels, club stores, foodservice operators, and out-of-home channels. Following its 2026 acquisition of SunOpta, the company also produces plant-based beverages, nutritional drinks, tea, broth, and better-for-you snacks through advanced aseptic manufacturing across 75+ facilities worldwide.

Product overview

Refresco is a global B2B beverage solutions provider and contract manufacturer (co-packer) offering beverage manufacturing, co-packing, and supply chain services to retailers and brands. The company operates a network of over 75 manufacturing facilities across multiple continents, providing production, filling, and packaging services for non-alcoholic beverages. Following its acquisition of SunOpta (completed May 2026), Refresco expanded into plant-based beverages, nutritional drinks, broth, and better-for-you snacks; the company also acquired Frías (Spain, plant-based drinks), Tru Blu Beverages (Australia, non-alcoholic beverages), and Telemark Kildevann (Norway, Nordic beverages).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private-label beverage co-manufacturing

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% increase in fruit snacks production capacity at Omak facility
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ISNetworld (ISN)coreTechnology or Integration · 16 April 2026Refresco Europe selected ISNetworld as its primary contractor information management platform to streamline contractor qualification, health and safety oversight, and compliance processes across European manufacturing operations. The platform will be initially implemented in the UK before expanding to Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Finland, and Poland.
• SidelcoreTechnology or Integration · 18 February 2026Refresco partnered with Sidel to implement EvoBLOW Laser technology for PET bottle blowing at its German facility. The technology replaces traditional halogen-based heating with laser-powered precision heating, enabling up to 15% material reduction in 1.5L PET bottles while maintaining quality standards and reducing energy consumption.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• High Brew Coffee: U.S.-based ready-to-drink coffee company that has scaled through co-manufacturing partnerships with major retailers and foodservice. Comparable to Refresco at the intersection of better-for-you beverages and retail private label, though at significantly smaller scale and with outsourced production rather than owned facilities.

Broad incumbents

• National Beverage Corp: U.S. developer and producer of branded soft drinks, sparkling waters, and juices (LaCroix, Shasta). Comparable to Refresco as a multi-category beverage manufacturer, though primarily brand-led rather than a contract manufacturer for retailer private label.
• Keurig Dr Pepper: Major North American beverage conglomerate with significant manufacturing, bottling, and at-home beverage systems. Comparable to Refresco at the scale and channel level, with substantial private-label and contract manufacturing exposure for retailers, though primarily a brand owner.
• Primo Water Corporation: Large North American pure-play water and beverage services company with significant co-manufacturing and bottling operations. Comparable to Refresco in providing outsourced beverage production and route-based distribution to retailers and foodservice, though more concentrated in water.
• Coca-Cola Consolidated: Largest Coca-Cola bottler in the U.S., operating production and distribution at massive scale for retail and foodservice. Comparable to Refresco as a tier-1 B2B beverage manufacturer, though tied exclusively to a single brand owner, unlike Refresco's independent multi-customer model.

Direct peers

• Polar Beverages: Family-owned U.S. beverage manufacturer and co-packer producing private-label and branded carbonated soft drinks and seltzers. Directly comparable to Refresco in operating as a contract manufacturer for retailers while also running its own brands, with similar multi-category production capabilities.
• DöhlerGroup: German-headquartered global producer and provider of beverages, ingredients, and integrated beverage solutions, including private label and co-manufacturing. Comparable to Refresco as a large European-headquartered multi-category beverage contract manufacturer serving retailers and brand owners with plant-based and fruit-based capabilities.
• Pepsi Bottling Ventures: One of the largest PepsiCo-affiliated bottlers in the U.S., operating manufacturing and distribution at scale. Comparable to Refresco as a large B2B beverage manufacturer serving major retail and foodservice customers, though focused on PepsiCo brands rather than independent private label.
• Cott Corporation: Historic direct competitor as one of the world's largest independent beverage co-packers, which Refresco acquired in 2018 for approximately $1.25B. While now part of Refresco's asset base, it remains the most direct historical peer and sets the template for the type of regional co-packing consolidation Refresco continues to pursue.

Regional players

• Talking Rain Beverage Company: U.S. Pacific Northwest-based beverage manufacturer producing sparkling water and other functional beverages, including co-packing services. Comparable to Refresco in offering co-manufacturing capabilities alongside its own brands, but at materially smaller scale and regional footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A22 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Refresco