Clearly Drinks reports revenue and gross margin growth

Soft drinks manufacturer Clearly Drinks has reported an 11 per cent revenue growth and a gross margin growth of 13 percent, driven by an ambitious new business strategy and organisational development focused on people, product and plant.

The growth comes on the back of five major new client wins, including Britvic and Carabao and new brand listings in major supermarkets, including Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys. The growth was also supported by the expansion of its Perfectly Clear range ATL marketing support including TV, and the relaunch of its Upstream and Revolution Waves brands.

To further promote strategic growth, nine promotions have been made at various levels of the business, following the appointment of Claire Connolly as Chief Financial Officer in September 2021. This includes Susanne Wright who has been promoted to Marketing and strategy director, and Mark Robinson who has joined the business as brand manager from Fentimans.

Additional promotions at Clearly Drinks include Mel Morris and Jak Young to Factory Operatives, as well as Stewart Ramsay and David Patterson to Performance Champions.

Susanne Wright commented: “I’m delighted to be leading the corporate and commercial marketing efforts as well as championing and leading our sustainability strategy here at Clearly Drinks.

“Mark is a great addition to the team and brings a real wealth of industry experience and expertise to his brand manager role. I’m confident his passion and knowledge for the soft drinks industry will make an excellent addition to the team.”

Other promotions include roles such as transport and logistics manager, materials and warehousing coordinator and a machine operator as Clearly Drinks scales up production to manage demand over the next year.

Alongside achieving growth through strategic partnerships and listings, Clearly Drinks is continuing to deliver on its environmental and sustainability commitments. The business is actively working towards achieving net zero status and improving its industry leading carbon footprint.

Diversity and inclusion has also been a key pillar in the ambitious Clearly Drinks growth strategy over the past twelve months with the company launching initiatives including partnering with the Salvation Army to provide job opportunities for homeless people in Sunderland, working closely with the Moving On Tyne & Wear programme and Autism North East to open up work experience opportunities to anyone who has a disability or health barrier as well as achieving a Bronze Award in the Armed Forces Covenant, giving veterans opportunities for employment.

Mick Howard, CEO at Clearly Drinks, said: “We have seen continued challenges in 2021, including driver and supply shortages, but we have ended the year in a strong place and ready to push on into 2022. Our inclusive environment allows us to grow, innovate and outperform the competition. The link between becoming more inclusive as a business and our P&L is undeniable. Our culture is what makes us who we are as a business and that isn’t just fluffy ideals; it has a tangible impact on the success of the organisation.

“Creating a positive, diverse culture at Clearly Drinks has had huge impact on productivity – we had a business that was limited to around 50 million litres a year and suddenly we are looking at around 160 million litres of capacity by the end of 2021, with a team that can drive and fulfil that, while still offering high levels of customer service. Having great culture means that we are not failing our customers and we are not failing each other – that is born from a culture of respect and empowerment.”

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