Cott Corporation Presents Second Annual Innovation Award To Cott U.S.A. Team For Attracting Major New Customer.

Business Editors

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2000

Cott Corporation (NASDAQ:COTT)(TSE:BCB.) awarded its coveted second annual Gerald N. Pencer Award for Excellence in Innovation to three employees from Cott U.S.A. for applying a cross-functional team approach to attract a major new customer.

The Pencer award, named in memory of the company's late founder and former president, includes a $10,000 (Canadian) prize in Cott stock and is awarded each year to the employee or employees "who develop the most innovative ways of driving profitable volume growth in marketing, operations or any other functional activity," said President and Chief Executive Officer Frank E. Weise III.

This year's award went to the Cott U.S.A. team of Billie Hutteger, production planning manager, Wanda Dees, customer service manager, and Ken Korns, director of sales and business development, for their success in gaining a new customer, resulting in more than $14 million (U.S.) annually in new sales. Hutteger and Dees are based in Tampa, while Korns is based in St. Louis.

The cross-functional team combined in a concerted effort to attract the retailer, a major supermarket chain, often taking on tasks beyond their regular duties. The team paid particular attention to customer service details, thus ensuring that results would exceed the customer's expectations.

The award was presented at Cott's Annual General Meeting held in the du Maurier Theatre Centre.

The Pencer Award winners won over two other finalists. They were:

* Mena Torroni of Cott Canada, who worked with the company's sales group and customers to streamline the counter-claims process in a way that allows for significant savings; and,

* Andrew Speak, of Cott U.K., who developed an improved measuring system for raw materials, which has significantly decreased waste and improved customer service.

The winners and finalists emerged from a competition with hundreds of divisional and local winners throughout the company. In saluting them Weise said: "You greatly enrich this company with your ideas and your dedication, and we thank you very much."

The awards were presented by Pencer's widow, Nancy. The Pencer Award was created in 1999 to spark innovation throughout the company. Last year's award went to Rod Boll and John Clements of the manufacturing staff at Cott U.K.'s Kegworth, England, plant for identifying a key packaging solution that led to savings of more than $120,000 (U.S.).

Cott is the world's largest retailer brand beverage supplier, with major manufacturing facilities in its three core markets of Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.