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~22~ March-April 2004 the Soda Fizz
POLAR BEVERAGES
Polar Beverages, New England’s
largest independent soft drink bottler, is a
fourth-generation, family owned business
that traces its roots back to the year 1882.
It all started with the J.G. Bieberbach
Company, importers of seltzer water and
bottlers of ginger ale and mineral water
out of Worcester, Massachusetts.
In 1916, Denis M. Crowley, the great-
grandfather of the present owners of
Polar Beverages, bought the wholesale times in the company’s history, Polar
bottling division of the Bieberbach firm. Beverages were bottled in other Polar
Two years later, in 1918, he purchased owned plants in Boston, Massachusetts
the Leicester Polar Spring Company, and Hartford, Connecticut, while offices
successor to the Arctic Polar Spring and warehouses were maintained in
Company. The combined business became Springfield, Massachusetts.
known as the Bieber Polar Ginger Ale In 1950, the third generation of the
Company. Crowley family, which included brothers
In the early years of the company, sale Ralph D. Crowley, Sr., Edward D.
of bottled water accounted for a large Crowley, James C. Crowley and Denis M.
percent of its business. The addition of the Crowley, led the company. Entrepreneur-
Leicester Polar Spring Company was ial chairman Ralph Sr., took Polar’s
important to the business management reins.
because its assets included the In 1962, Edward D. Crowley, son
rights to the use of a spring in of Denis M. Crowley, and grand-
Spencer, Massachusetts, which father of present owners
provided an abundant source of of Polar died. He was
pure spring water. extremely active in the
Because of the business from its inception
exceptional quality of the with his father to his death.
spring water, flavored During his life time, techni-
soft drinks were cal advances in bottling machin-
added to the ery moved rapidly and he made
plant's produc- sure Polar kept up with the
tion. Among the changes.
first flavors produced were In 1966, Polar Corp. became
Pale Dry Ginger Ale, Cola, the official name of the company.
Orange Soda and Root Beer. This change was made to correct
The company headquar- the impression that ginger ale
ters remained at the site of was the only product mar-
the old Bieberbach firm, keted by the company.
113 Summer Street in In 1968, all operations
Worcester. At various Orson the Polar Bear consolidated into one plant,
the Soda Fizz March-April 2004 ~23~
which is the present and pri- number of private-label
mary place of operation, at products in a 500,000
Worcester, Massachusetts, a site square-foot production facil-
strategically located in the cen- ity.
ter of the Northeast market- In 1998, the company
place. growth required incremen-
In 1988, the fourth genera- tal warehouse space. After
tion of Crowley’s led by Ralph much thought and many at-
Crowley, Jr. and his brother tractive relocation offers
Chris Crowley, led tighter among other New England
consolidations in the family areas, Polar decided to re-
business. Polar, at the time, was main in Worcester, Massa-
a $16 million entity, selling its chusetts and renovate the
own Polar sodas and Cookson Performance Plas-
water, as well as private-label tics plant on Southbridge
soft drinks. Street.
In 1992, after 25 years in the family The renovation brought an old
business, Ralph Crowley, Jr. became industrial site back to life, ensuring
President and CEO, and his brother permanent employment for over 600
Christopher Crowley became the Execu- residents and bolstering the regions
tive Vice President and Treasurer of economy. The Worcester Chamber of
Polar Beverages. Commerce awarded Polar with the Silver
In December 1996, Polar Beverages Hammer award for the renovation and
acquired a long time competitor, restoration of the former plant.
Adirondack Beverages of Scotia, N.Y. The In May 1999, Polar Beverages acquired
company manufactures products which Venture Distributing, the leading New Age
includes the Adirondack, Waist Watcher distributor in the Boston marketplace.
and Clear & Natural brands, as well as a Venture’s portfolio of strong door-
openening New Age brands included
brands such as Nantucket Nectars and
Arizona. This aquisition allowed Polar
cold drink access to over 3,500 pieces of
equipment.
By the end of the 90s, Polar had
completed twenty acquisitions, expanding
into a five-division, "super-regional"
organization. Polar’s brands include
Polar and Adirondack carbonated soft
drinks and spring waters; DPSU national
brands, i.e., Sunkist, 7UP, A&W and
Royal Crown and New-Age brands such
as Nantucket Nectars and Arizona.
In September 2001, Polar Beverages
Polar Beverages headquarters formed an alliance with another long time
1001 Southbridge Street competitor, Cott Corporation. The new
Worcester, Mass. partnership is known as Northeast Retailer
~24~ March-April 2004 the Soda Fizz
Brands, LLC. Polar gained a considerable
amount of production volume, while con-
tributing private-label customers includ-
ing over a dozen grocery chains and ware-
house clubs. All shared retail branded soft
drinks continue to be produced at Polar’s
Massachusetts and New York bottling
plants, each plant is about 500,000 square
feet in size.
Polar Beverages continues to carry on
their tradition since 1882.
