Latest news with #Rubicon
STV News
a day ago
- Business
- STV News
Jobs at Strathmore bottled water saved after takeover
Bottled water firm Strathmore, part of the company behind Irn Bru, has been saved from closure after it was bought by a Welsh firm. The takeover by Ty Nant has saved all 23 jobs at the company, as they promised to invest in the Forfar factory's long-term future. The firm was bought by Irn Bru maker AG Barr in 2006, but earlier this year it was announced it was axing Strathmore Water as the brand was 'no longer sustainable'. The news came after the Cumbernauld-based drinks group – whose brands also include Rubicon, Boost and Funkin – reported a 15.8% increase in adjusted profit before tax to £58.5m. Councillor Linda Clark, Angus Council, responding to the takeover, said: 'I think it's wonderful news. 'It's so good that someone has come along with confidence now because that's a good brand, a local brand, a special product. 'That's 23 souls saved. I want to see people here, there are a lot of people who start here as a young loon or a quine and they get their training and also sorts of things. 'I've never heard a bad word so this is really good news.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian troops face ‘critical' attrition
Ukraine's forces are exhausted and suffering from a 'critical shortage of personnel,' with no recruits to replace them, CNN reported on Tuesday. With few volunteers, Kiev's draft campaign has reportedly become more brutal and has drawn criticism for violence and abuse. Ukrainian troops deployed to Konstantinovka – a major logistics hub in Donetsk Region – have not seen reinforcements for eight months, the outlet wrote, citing a member of Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade. The city is currently facing encirclement by Russia. 'We have a critical shortage of personnel. No one wants to fight. The war is over (for them),' CNN cited the serviceman as saying. 'The old personnel are left, they are tired and want to be replaced, but no one is replacing them.' According to the soldier, Ukraine's army doesn't relay many of these frontline difficulties to the state, and Kiev 'doesn't communicate a lot of things to the people.' When we say that the situation is difficult, no one understands. You have to be in our shoes. We are tired. Everyone is tired of this war, and I believe that other countries are also tired of helping us. The remaining Ukrainian infantry hold positions around the city with as few as two people, CNN wrote. They are resupplied in the dark hours of dawn or dusk via the larger of Ukraine's quadcopter models, as frontline positions are vulnerable to Russian UAVs. Russia's newer drone forces from the Rubicon unit are 'well-trained and professional,' sometimes needing nothing but a thread hanging from a quadcopter to entangle the rotors of a Ukrainian drone to crash it, CNN cited their source as saying. Ukrainian troops in Konstantinovka are increasingly turning to fishing nets as anti-drone defenses to fight against the high-tech aerial threat, but some Russian drone operators exploit gaps to bypass them, according to CNN. Russian forces have gained control of key lines of communication on the city's flanks, moving to encircle it. The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that its southern army group has 'improved its positions' around the key logistics hub.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Irn-Bru buys majority stake in former Wales striker's firm
The purchase of the majority stake in Innate-Essence is the latest diversification by Barr beyond its core fizzy drinks specialism, with Innate-Essence joining a portfolio which includes MOMA oat milk and Funkin, the cocktail puree and ready-to-drink brand. The Barr portfolio was also expanded with the acquisition of energy drinks Boost in a deal worth up to £32m in December 2022. However, the company took the decision to axe its Strathmore bottled water brand in March this year. It announced today that it has concluded the sale of the Strathmore brand and the Forfar production site to Ty Nant, 'negatively impacting revenue in the short-term but not profit'. A filing at Companies House shows that AG Barr chief executive Euan Sutherland and finance chief Stuart Lorimer were appointed directors of Innate-Essence earlier this month. Read more: Barr noted today that the deal for Innate-Essence was 'consistent with the company's strategy of acquisitions and innovation in high growth, health focused, functional beverage categories', adding: 'The investment has been funded from the company's net cash position. It is not expected to have a significant impact on revenue or profit in the current financial year.' The deal was announced as Barr signalled that it expects revenue to increase by around 3% to in the region of £228 million in the first half, with adjusted operating margin to be ahead of last year at 15% versus 13%. It anticipates the margin improvement will be driven by 'improved manufacturing efficiencies, ongoing benefits from our strategic business improvement initiatives and continued disciplined cost management'. Barr noted that momentum had increased as the period progressed, with several record volume weeks reported in the second quarter. It said brand performance was led by Boost, which delivered double-digit percentage growth. Sales of Irn-Bru and fruit juice brand Rubicon were flat in the first half, with a stronger performance in the second quarter, while growth in the off-trade for Funkin helped to mitigate challenges in the on-trade. Mulling the outlook, the company made no changes to its revenue and profit expectations for the full-year. Mr Sutherland said: "We are pleased to report continued revenue growth and strong profit growth in the first half of the financial year. Trading improved during H1, and we enter H2 with strong momentum and continued progress on margin improvement as our strategic initiatives continue to deliver. I am also excited about our expansion into the functional beverage segment working alongside Thomas Robson-Kanu and the Innate-Essence team. Our full year guidance remains unchanged and in line with market expectations." Analysts at Shore Capital reiterated their expectations for the company to deliver an adjusted pre-tax profit of £65m for the full year. Barr said: 'We have made excellent progress with operating margin during H1 and expect to deliver a full year result in line with expectations after taking into account a planned higher level of marketing activity in H2.' Shares in AG Barr closed down 2.16%, or 15p, at 680p.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Irn-Bru maker AG Barr buys health shots firm for £15m after selling Scottish business
'I am also excited about our expansion into the functional beverage segment' – Euan Sutherland, chief executive Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Irn-Bru maker AG Barr has spent £15 million snapping up a majority stake in a top brand in the 'functional shots' market after concluding the sale of the Strathmore bottled water business. The iconic soft drinks maker said it had acquired a 50.1 per cent equity stake in Innate-Essence, the home of The Turmeric Co, which is also behind a number of other speciality health drinks. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bosses said the move was consistent with the company's strategy of targeting 'acquisitions and innovation in high growth, health focused, functional beverage categories'. The deal has been funded from the group's cash funds. It is not expected to have a significant impact on revenue or profit in the current financial year, Barr added. AG Barr is best known as the maker of Irn-Bru, often referred to as 'Scotland's other national drink'. The firm has also concluded the sale of the Strathmore brand and the Forfar production site to Tŷ Nant, 'negatively impacting' revenue in the short-term but not profit. In March, Barr announced plans to 'discontinue' its Strathmore bottled water brand and seek a potential buyer. News of the Innate-Essence acquisition came as Cumbernauld-headquartered Barr issued a trading update, revealing that first-half revenue is expected to be in the region of £228m, up about 3 per cent on the year before. Overall, trading momentum increased as the first half progressed, with several record volume weeks in the second quarter. Brand revenue performance was led by Boost which delivered strong double-digit growth. Irn-Bru and Rubicon were flat in the half-year period, with a stronger performance in Q2. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The group's revenue and profit growth expectations for the full year are unchanged. Chief executive Euan Sutherland told investors: 'We are pleased to report continued revenue growth and strong profit growth in the first half of the financial year.
The Advertiser
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
2025 Jeep Gladiator price and specs: Only one variant left, but it's cheaper than before
The Jeep Gladiator has received a raft of updates for model year 2025 (MY25), but the dual-cab 4×4 ute has actually received a price cut. There are two caveats here: the price-leading Night Eagle variant is now dead, leaving only the flagship Rubicon; and it's the before on-roads price that has been reduced. The Rubicon has dropped from $87,250 to $82,990 before on-roads, though examples of the MY23 Rubicon are still being offered for $76,000 drive-away… and earlier this year it was even cheaper at just $70,000 drive-away. The refreshed Gladiator Rubicon is arriving in showrooms this month. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Jeep Gladiator. Click here to get a great deal. Externally, the MY25 Gladiator is distinguished by a new grille with improved cooling performance, and a new 17-inch alloy wheel design. The antenna has also been relocated to the windscreen, which now features Gorilla glass, and the Gladiator has picked up an additional underbody skid plate. Jeep has also made the old Lifestyle Adventure Group standard, bringing lockable under-seat storage, an auxiliary switch bank, 240-amp alternator and Bluetooth speaker, plus a spray-in liner and trail rail system for the tub. Also newly standard are body-coloured fender flares, though a body-colour hard top remains optional. Inside, the changes are even more apparent. The 8.4-inch touchscreen has been replaced with a new 12.3-inch unit, with full-array local dimming technology for improved visibility when the Gladiator's roof is off, and it has been upgraded from the Uconnect 4 infotainment system to Uconnect 5. Other interior upgrades include curtain airbags and Nappa leather upholstery for both rows of seats, and 12-way power-adjustment for the front seats. Jeep also notes the Gladiator has a new urethane dash panel and a hard seat-back panel, though the new instrument panel features soft-touch surfaces and contrast accent stitching. It also says it has made improvements to noise, vibration and harshness. The updated Gladiator has been a long time coming, having first been revealed in the US in September 2023. The ute – Jeep's first since the Comanche, never sold here, exited production in 1992 – was launched here in 2020. It's closely related to the Wrangler, though it has never been offered with the V8 and plug-in hybrid powertrains available in the SUV in the US. There was a turbo-diesel V6 offered overseas, though unfortunately it was never offered in Australia and has been discontinued globally. There's just one engine available: a petrol V6 with idle stop/start. The body-on-frame Gladiator is offered in just one dual-cab 4×4 ute body style. The Jeep Gladiator is backed by a five-year, 100,000km warranty. Jeep offers five years of capped-price servicing. While it hasn't announced MY25 service pricing, the outgoing Gladiator costs $399 per visit for each of these five visits. The Jeep Gladiator has a three-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted in 2019 of the related Wrangler. Standard safety equipment includes: There's now just one grade of Gladiator available. The Rubicon comes standard with the following standard equipment: A body-colour hard top is a $1950 option. The Gladiator is offered exclusively with a black interior. Bright White exterior paint is standard, with the following finishes costing an additional $1145: MORE: Explore the Jeep Gladiator showroom Content originally sourced from: The Jeep Gladiator has received a raft of updates for model year 2025 (MY25), but the dual-cab 4×4 ute has actually received a price cut. There are two caveats here: the price-leading Night Eagle variant is now dead, leaving only the flagship Rubicon; and it's the before on-roads price that has been reduced. The Rubicon has dropped from $87,250 to $82,990 before on-roads, though examples of the MY23 Rubicon are still being offered for $76,000 drive-away… and earlier this year it was even cheaper at just $70,000 drive-away. The refreshed Gladiator Rubicon is arriving in showrooms this month. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Jeep Gladiator. Click here to get a great deal. Externally, the MY25 Gladiator is distinguished by a new grille with improved cooling performance, and a new 17-inch alloy wheel design. The antenna has also been relocated to the windscreen, which now features Gorilla glass, and the Gladiator has picked up an additional underbody skid plate. Jeep has also made the old Lifestyle Adventure Group standard, bringing lockable under-seat storage, an auxiliary switch bank, 240-amp alternator and Bluetooth speaker, plus a spray-in liner and trail rail system for the tub. Also newly standard are body-coloured fender flares, though a body-colour hard top remains optional. Inside, the changes are even more apparent. The 8.4-inch touchscreen has been replaced with a new 12.3-inch unit, with full-array local dimming technology for improved visibility when the Gladiator's roof is off, and it has been upgraded from the Uconnect 4 infotainment system to Uconnect 5. Other interior upgrades include curtain airbags and Nappa leather upholstery for both rows of seats, and 12-way power-adjustment for the front seats. Jeep also notes the Gladiator has a new urethane dash panel and a hard seat-back panel, though the new instrument panel features soft-touch surfaces and contrast accent stitching. It also says it has made improvements to noise, vibration and harshness. The updated Gladiator has been a long time coming, having first been revealed in the US in September 2023. The ute – Jeep's first since the Comanche, never sold here, exited production in 1992 – was launched here in 2020. It's closely related to the Wrangler, though it has never been offered with the V8 and plug-in hybrid powertrains available in the SUV in the US. There was a turbo-diesel V6 offered overseas, though unfortunately it was never offered in Australia and has been discontinued globally. There's just one engine available: a petrol V6 with idle stop/start. The body-on-frame Gladiator is offered in just one dual-cab 4×4 ute body style. The Jeep Gladiator is backed by a five-year, 100,000km warranty. Jeep offers five years of capped-price servicing. While it hasn't announced MY25 service pricing, the outgoing Gladiator costs $399 per visit for each of these five visits. The Jeep Gladiator has a three-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted in 2019 of the related Wrangler. Standard safety equipment includes: There's now just one grade of Gladiator available. The Rubicon comes standard with the following standard equipment: A body-colour hard top is a $1950 option. The Gladiator is offered exclusively with a black interior. Bright White exterior paint is standard, with the following finishes costing an additional $1145: MORE: Explore the Jeep Gladiator showroom Content originally sourced from: The Jeep Gladiator has received a raft of updates for model year 2025 (MY25), but the dual-cab 4×4 ute has actually received a price cut. There are two caveats here: the price-leading Night Eagle variant is now dead, leaving only the flagship Rubicon; and it's the before on-roads price that has been reduced. The Rubicon has dropped from $87,250 to $82,990 before on-roads, though examples of the MY23 Rubicon are still being offered for $76,000 drive-away… and earlier this year it was even cheaper at just $70,000 drive-away. The refreshed Gladiator Rubicon is arriving in showrooms this month. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Jeep Gladiator. Click here to get a great deal. Externally, the MY25 Gladiator is distinguished by a new grille with improved cooling performance, and a new 17-inch alloy wheel design. The antenna has also been relocated to the windscreen, which now features Gorilla glass, and the Gladiator has picked up an additional underbody skid plate. Jeep has also made the old Lifestyle Adventure Group standard, bringing lockable under-seat storage, an auxiliary switch bank, 240-amp alternator and Bluetooth speaker, plus a spray-in liner and trail rail system for the tub. Also newly standard are body-coloured fender flares, though a body-colour hard top remains optional. Inside, the changes are even more apparent. The 8.4-inch touchscreen has been replaced with a new 12.3-inch unit, with full-array local dimming technology for improved visibility when the Gladiator's roof is off, and it has been upgraded from the Uconnect 4 infotainment system to Uconnect 5. Other interior upgrades include curtain airbags and Nappa leather upholstery for both rows of seats, and 12-way power-adjustment for the front seats. Jeep also notes the Gladiator has a new urethane dash panel and a hard seat-back panel, though the new instrument panel features soft-touch surfaces and contrast accent stitching. It also says it has made improvements to noise, vibration and harshness. The updated Gladiator has been a long time coming, having first been revealed in the US in September 2023. The ute – Jeep's first since the Comanche, never sold here, exited production in 1992 – was launched here in 2020. It's closely related to the Wrangler, though it has never been offered with the V8 and plug-in hybrid powertrains available in the SUV in the US. There was a turbo-diesel V6 offered overseas, though unfortunately it was never offered in Australia and has been discontinued globally. There's just one engine available: a petrol V6 with idle stop/start. The body-on-frame Gladiator is offered in just one dual-cab 4×4 ute body style. The Jeep Gladiator is backed by a five-year, 100,000km warranty. Jeep offers five years of capped-price servicing. While it hasn't announced MY25 service pricing, the outgoing Gladiator costs $399 per visit for each of these five visits. The Jeep Gladiator has a three-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted in 2019 of the related Wrangler. Standard safety equipment includes: There's now just one grade of Gladiator available. The Rubicon comes standard with the following standard equipment: A body-colour hard top is a $1950 option. The Gladiator is offered exclusively with a black interior. Bright White exterior paint is standard, with the following finishes costing an additional $1145: MORE: Explore the Jeep Gladiator showroom Content originally sourced from: The Jeep Gladiator has received a raft of updates for model year 2025 (MY25), but the dual-cab 4×4 ute has actually received a price cut. There are two caveats here: the price-leading Night Eagle variant is now dead, leaving only the flagship Rubicon; and it's the before on-roads price that has been reduced. The Rubicon has dropped from $87,250 to $82,990 before on-roads, though examples of the MY23 Rubicon are still being offered for $76,000 drive-away… and earlier this year it was even cheaper at just $70,000 drive-away. The refreshed Gladiator Rubicon is arriving in showrooms this month. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Jeep Gladiator. Click here to get a great deal. Externally, the MY25 Gladiator is distinguished by a new grille with improved cooling performance, and a new 17-inch alloy wheel design. The antenna has also been relocated to the windscreen, which now features Gorilla glass, and the Gladiator has picked up an additional underbody skid plate. Jeep has also made the old Lifestyle Adventure Group standard, bringing lockable under-seat storage, an auxiliary switch bank, 240-amp alternator and Bluetooth speaker, plus a spray-in liner and trail rail system for the tub. Also newly standard are body-coloured fender flares, though a body-colour hard top remains optional. Inside, the changes are even more apparent. The 8.4-inch touchscreen has been replaced with a new 12.3-inch unit, with full-array local dimming technology for improved visibility when the Gladiator's roof is off, and it has been upgraded from the Uconnect 4 infotainment system to Uconnect 5. Other interior upgrades include curtain airbags and Nappa leather upholstery for both rows of seats, and 12-way power-adjustment for the front seats. Jeep also notes the Gladiator has a new urethane dash panel and a hard seat-back panel, though the new instrument panel features soft-touch surfaces and contrast accent stitching. It also says it has made improvements to noise, vibration and harshness. The updated Gladiator has been a long time coming, having first been revealed in the US in September 2023. The ute – Jeep's first since the Comanche, never sold here, exited production in 1992 – was launched here in 2020. It's closely related to the Wrangler, though it has never been offered with the V8 and plug-in hybrid powertrains available in the SUV in the US. There was a turbo-diesel V6 offered overseas, though unfortunately it was never offered in Australia and has been discontinued globally. There's just one engine available: a petrol V6 with idle stop/start. The body-on-frame Gladiator is offered in just one dual-cab 4×4 ute body style. The Jeep Gladiator is backed by a five-year, 100,000km warranty. Jeep offers five years of capped-price servicing. While it hasn't announced MY25 service pricing, the outgoing Gladiator costs $399 per visit for each of these five visits. The Jeep Gladiator has a three-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted in 2019 of the related Wrangler. Standard safety equipment includes: There's now just one grade of Gladiator available. The Rubicon comes standard with the following standard equipment: A body-colour hard top is a $1950 option. The Gladiator is offered exclusively with a black interior. Bright White exterior paint is standard, with the following finishes costing an additional $1145: MORE: Explore the Jeep Gladiator showroom Content originally sourced from:
