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Polar Beverages
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Polar Beverages is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that traces its roots back to 1882 and is based in Worcester, Massachusetts. The company is currently run by Ralph Crowley, Jr., the great-grandson of founder Dennis M. Crowley. It is the largest independent soft-drink bottler in the United States.
Ice cold beverages are the stock and trade of this company. It is a leading manufacturer and distributor of fruit-flavored sodas, seltzers, ginger ale, mixers, and spring water to customers in the northeastern United States.
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Polar Beverages is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that traces its roots back to 1882 and is based in Worcester, Massachusetts. The company is currently run by Ralph Crowley, Jr., the great-grandson of founder Dennis M. Crowley. It is the largest independent soft-drink bottler in the United States.
Ice cold beverages are the stock and trade of this company. It is a leading manufacturer and distributor of fruit-flavored sodas, seltzers, ginger ale, mixers, and spring water to customers in the northeastern United States. It markets beverages under its flagship brand, as well as Adirondack and Cape Cod Dry. In addition to its own drinks, Polar bottles and distributes national brands such as 7UP, A&W, Izze and Sunkist. The company has two bottling plants and six distribution facilities; it also offers corporate water services and beverage vending equipment.
Beginnings
Polar Beverages began as the J.G. Bieberbach Company, which bottled seltzers, ginger ale and imported mineral water and was also a wholesaler of alcoholic beverages in Worcester, Massachusetts. Prior to coming to Worcester, Mr. Bieberbach had immigrated to New York City from Germany at the request of the Schaefer Brewing Company, the first company in the nation to brew Pilsner beer.
In 1901 Dennis M. Crowley founded D.M. Crowley & Co., a wholesale and retail liquor business. The top selling product of the day was Crowley’s Ball Brook Straight Whiskey. Crowley acquired the J. G. Bieberbach Company in 1916. The company headquarters remained at the site of the Bieberbach firm, 113 Summer Street in Worcester. Shortly thereafter (1918), the business purchased the Leicester Polar Spring Company, and the combined businesses became known as the Bieber Polar Ginger Ale Company. The acquisition of Leicester Polar Spring Company gave Polar a pure spring located in Spencer, Massachusetts. This spring was used for the company’s bottled water and was also used in the manufacture of Polar’s flavored drinks. The first flavors produced were golden ginger ale and pale dry ginger ale.
At various times in the company’s history, Polar beverages were bottled in other Polar owned plants in Boston, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut, while offices and warehouses were maintained in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Changes in the United States political and social climates greatly impacted Polar’s business in the 1920s when the 18th Amendment was added to the United States Constitution. The resulting Prohibition forced Polar to focus on its ginger ale and spring water company. When Prohibition was repealed in 1933 with the 21st Amendment, the company was allowed to resume its liquor business as “rectifiers and wholesalers.” However, the company’s focus remained on soft drinks and spring water where it continues today.
Growth and Modernization
In 1950, the third generation of Crowley’s became involved in Polar. The four Crowley brothers, Ralph, Edward, James and Denis, led the company. Ralph acted as Chairman, a post he held until his death in 1995. During the 1960’s, technical advances in bottling machinery modernized the business. In 1966 Polar Ginger Ale was renamed Polar Corp. to correct the impression that the company only produced ginger ale. In 1968 all production was consolidated into the Worcester plant because of its prime location at the heart of Polar’s Northeast marketplace. By 1988 Polar’s sales had jumped to $16 million dollars by selling both Polar beverages and private-label soft drinks.
Shortly thereafter Polar made numerous acquisitions for the rights to manufacture and distribute national brands such as 7 Up, A&W, Sunkist, Seagrams, Royal Crown and Diet Rite.
In 1992 the fourth generation took over with Ralph Crowley, Jr., becoming President and CEO. Under this fourth generation of Crowley’s, Polar has undergone its most dramatic growth and change. They made numerous acquisitions for the rights to manufacture and distribute national brands such as 7 Up, A&W, Sunkist, Seagrams, Royal Crown and Diet Rite. In 1996, Polar Beverages bought long-time competitor Adirondack Beverages in Scotia, New York, including its 650,000 square foot manufacturing facility. Adirondack’s product line includes Adirondack and Waist Watchers brands. In 2001, Polar Beverages formed a partnership with another long time competitor, Cott Corporation.
By the end of the turn of the century Polar had become quite a strong regional organization. They had completed over twenty acquisitions expanding into five divisions with proprietary brands, national brands, new-age brands (like Snapple, Arizona Iced Tea and assorted Energy Drinks) as well as home and office spring water.
Orson the bear
A polar bear named Orson has been the company's mascot since 1902. Next to the company's very visible billboard off of I-290 in Worcester, there is a large inflatable rendition of Orson, which can be seen smiling and "waving" to those who are passing by. Drivers on the highway will also notice that the over-sized bear is tied down rather securely by wire. The need for the wire is not only to keep the bear in place during weather-related activity, but also because of vandalism. Orson has been known to disappear from time-to-time because local fraternities have been known to steal the inflatable mascot as a prank.
Conflict with Coca-Cola
In 1994 Polar made a TV commercial where a polar bear considers drinking a Coke, but throws it into a recycling bin marked, "Keep the Arctic pure". The polar bear then reaches down into the freezing, Arctic water and pulls out a can of Polar Seltzer and drinks contentedly. Coca-Cola filed a motion for the injunction against Polar in United States District Court in Boston contending that the commercial made Coke's product appear impure.
The US district court granted the Company's motion because the commercial "implied that Coke [was] not pure," misrepresented the nature and quality of Coke, thereby potentially harming the soft drink irreparably.
The injunction handed down required Polar Corporation to revise the ad. According to Polar, the judge's ruling affirmed the right of Polar to use a polar bear in its ads, but limited them from discarding the Coke can.
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