Description
Keurig Dr Pepper is a publicly-traded American beverage and beverage-maker conglomerate with headquarters in Burlington, Massachusetts. Formed in July 2018 with the merger of Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple Group (formerly Dr. Pepper/7up Inc.), Keurig Dr Pepper offers over 125 hot and cold beverages. The company's Canadian business unit subsidiary operates as Keurig Dr Pepper Canada (formerly Canada Dry Motts).
The company's east-coast division manufactures Keurig brewing systems; sources, produces, and sells coffee, hot cocoa, teas, and other beverages under various brands for its Keurig machines; and sells coffee beans and ground coffee in bags and fractional packs. As of 2018, the newly merged conglomerate also sells sodas, juices, and other soft drinks via its Dr Pepper Snapple division based in Texas.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) was established in 1981 as a small specialty coffee roaster and store in Vermont. After regional and national expansion in the late 1980s, and an IPO in 1993, the company completed its acquisition of the brewing-machine manufacturer Keurig, Inc. in 2006, enabling rapid growth through the high-margin sales of its many varieties of single-serve K-Cup pods. In March 2014, GMCR changed its name to Keurig Green Mountain.
A publicly traded company from 1993 through 2015, Keurig Green Mountain was acquired by a group of investors led by JAB Holding Company in March 2016 for $13.9 billion in cash. Keurig Green Mountain became a privately-held company for two years, and was an independent entity run by its pre-existing management team and a new CEO.
On July 9, 2018, Keurig Green Mountain acquired the Dr Pepper Snapple Group in an $18.7-billion deal. The combined company was renamed Keurig Dr Pepper, and traded publicly again on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "KDP" until 2020 when it switched to Nasdaq while retaining the same ticker. Shareholders of Dr Pepper Snapple Group own 13% of the combined company, with Keurig shareholder Mondelez International owning 13% to 14% of that fraction. JAB Holdings owns the remaining 67%.
