Britvic Announces Irish Job Cuts

Britvic, a UK-based soft drink maker responsible for producing a number of leading brands across the country and in Ireland, is to cut almost one in seven jobs at its soft drinks business in Ireland, because the country's weak economy has damaged sales and profits.

Britvic confirmed that it plans to make 100 staff redundant in Ireland by the end of the month. The Tango and Robinsons producer is seeking to radically restructure its operations in the country, where it currently employs around 730 people in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In a statement the company said the move follows the conclusion of a commercial operations review and the unveiling of a new market strategy.

It said the new strategy requires the restructuring of the company’s sales and merchandising teams and increased investment in new product development and marketing as the existing commercial structure is “no longer reflective of market needs”.

As a result the existing sales and merchandising roles will be reconfigured with the loss of approximately 100 jobs.

Britvic Ireland has a portfolio of some of the market leading soft drink brands in the country including Ballygowan, 7UP, Robinsons and Pepsi. It was formed in 2007 when Britvic acquired the soft drinks arm of the Irish cider group C&C.