Sprite would not challenge 7 Up's position seriously until the 1980s when Coke forced its major bottlers, then distributing 7 Up, to drop the beverage in deference to Sprite.

Anchor bottler is a term used by cola beverage manufacturers for their major bottlers around the world.

"The major bottlers are missing an enormous market," he said.

Throughout the 1940s, Bob's-Cola evolved from a storefront soda shop to a major regional bottler.

"A big franchise company does not terminate a major bottler unless it feels the bottler has seriously breached its fiduciary duty to the franchise company."

It is the world's second-largest brewer measured by revenues (after Anheuser-Busch InBev) and is also a major bottler of Coca-Cola.

The Coca-Cola Company's major bottler in Central and Eastern Europe reported an unexpectedly steep drop in first-half volume sales yesterday and its stock fell sharply.

Mr. Ganger signed up Royal Crown Cola and urged it to develop a low-calorie soda, an idea shunned by major bottlers.

Coca-Cola Enterprises is one of 11 major bottlers for Coca-Cola.

Relations with major bottlers became strained or ruptured.