Editing Chelmsford (section)

===Britvic===
{{Main|Britvic}}
[[File:Britvicbuilding.jpg|thumb|Britvic House, the former Britvic headquarters]]
The Britvic soft drink company began life as the British Vitamin Company in 1948. The origins of the company can be traced back to a chemist's shop in Tindal Street where flavoured waters were on sale as early as the mid-19th century.

The company was acquired by Showerings of [[Shepton Mallet]], and subsequently a division of [[Allied Breweries]] from 1968, The British Vitamin Company changed its name to Britvic in 1971.<ref name="Brivic History">{{cite web|title=About Us – History|url=http://www.britvic.co.uk/en/About-Us/History.aspx|publisher=Britvic UK PLC|access-date=29 March 2013}}</ref> 
In 1986 it merged with ''Canada Dry Rawlings'' and acquired the [[R. White's]] Lemonade brand.<ref name="Brivic History"/> It acquired [[Tango (drink)|Tango]] from [[Beecham (pharmaceutical company)|Beechams]] in 1987 and since that year it has owned the UK franchise for [[Pepsi-Cola|Pepsi]] and [[7 Up]].<ref name="Brivic History"/> In 1995 it bought [[Robinsons (drink)|Robinson's]] from [[Reckitt Benckiser|Reckitt & Colman]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/close-up-client-week-chief-sets-robinsons-enigma/24805|title=CLOSE-UP: CLIENT OF THE WEEK; Chief sets Robinsons enigma|last=Hood|first=Margaret|date=17 May 1996|website=Campaign|access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref>

In December 2005 the Company underwent an [[initial public offering]] (IPO) allowing its main shareholders ([[InterContinental Hotels Group]], [[Whitbread]], [[Pernod Ricard]]) to realise their investments.

In May 2007 the company went on to buy the soft drinks and distribution businesses of Ireland's [[C&C Group|Cantrell & Cochrane]] (C&C) for £169.5m.<ref>[https://www.cnbc.com/2007/05/14/britvic-agrees-to-buy-ccs-softdrinks-division.html Britvic Agrees to Buy C&C's Soft-Drinks Division]  CNBC, 14 May 2007</ref>

On 14 November 2012 the Company agreed to merge with [[Scotland]]'s [[A.G. Barr]], producer of Scottish soft drinks [[Irn-Bru]], [[Tizer]] and [[Dandelion and Burdock|D'n'B]], to create one of Europe's largest soft drinks companies.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-20322017 AG Barr and Britvic agree to merger] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729203326/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-20322017 |date=29 July 2016 }} BBC, 14 November 2012</ref> However the merger was put into serious doubt<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/britvic-merger-idUSL5N0BDD4820130213 |title=UPDATE 1-Britvic merger with A.G. Barr under threat |work=Reuters|date=13 February 2013 |access-date=23 March 2013 |archive-date=17 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017005014/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/13/britvic-merger-idUSL5N0BDD4820130213 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9868934/AG-Barr-and-Britvic-merger-thwarted-by-the-Office-of-Fair-Trading.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9868934/AG-Barr-and-Britvic-merger-thwarted-by-the-Office-of-Fair-Trading.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=AG Barr and Britvic merger thwarted by the Office of Fair Trading |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date= 13 February 2013|access-date=23 March 2013 |location=London |first=Graham |last=Ruddick}}{{cbignore}}</ref> after the Office of Fair Trading referred the merger to the Competition Commission.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/2013/14-13 |title=OFT refers soft drinks merger to Competition Commission – The Office of Fair Trading |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom |date=13 February 2013 |access-date=23 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308203044/http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/2013/14-13 |archive-date=8 March 2013 }}</ref>

The Britvic UK headquarters at Britvic House in Broomfield Road closed in March 2012. It relocated to [[Hemel Hempstead]] to facilitate better transport links for its staff.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-14123356 |publisher=BBC News | title=Britvic plans to move UK headquarters out of Chelmsford | date=12 July 2011}}</ref>
 
On 14 March 2014 the Britvic Westway factory closed for good thus ending the company's 150-year association with the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/Big-business-names-Chelmsford-lost-Britvic-joins/story-20812851-detail/story.html|title=Big business names that Chelmsford has lost... as Britvic joins the list|work=Essex Chronicle|access-date=16 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316081830/http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/Big-business-names-Chelmsford-lost-Britvic-joins/story-20812851-detail/story.html|archive-date=16 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{anchor|Beaulieu Park railway station}}