Highland Spring Group has ended its distribution partnership with Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I after seven years.
The decision was made mutually following an “extensive strategic review” and will see the collaboration between the two companies end on 26 February 2023, said the bottled water brand.
Highland Spring has signed a deal with SHS Sales & Marketing to take over distribution of its brands within wholesale, convenience and on-trade channels.
It will continue to handle the grocery channel and its private label business in-house.
Highland Spring joint MD Simon Oldham said he “would like to thank Suntory for helping develop the Highland Spring brand over the last seven years”.
“We look forward to partnering with SHS and continuing to be a trusted and valued partner for our customers.”
Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I sales director Alpesh Mistry said: “We have had a wonderful collaboration with Highland Spring Group for a number of years.
“We exit our relationship on excellent terms, and this change will allow us to focus on delivering success for our core brands as well as to further concentrate efforts on our own product innovation initiatives across all retail channels and routes to market.”
SHS Sales & Marketing MD John Heynen said the transition process was “already underway to ensure seamless ongoing management of trade customers ahead of the formal exit date”.
The news comes after Highland Spring last month unveiled its new rail freight facility in Blackford, Perthshire, as part of its net zero strategy.
Highland Spring claimed the move would remove 8,000 HGVs from the road, saving 3,200 tonnes of CO2 every year.
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