One of California s largest independent bottlers, Nor-Cal Beverage was established with the original Hires Root Beer franchise. The company has increased its product lines and distribution territories, including distributorships for Anheuser-Busch, Dr Pepper/Cadbury and RC Cola. To meet customer needs in Northern California, Nor-Cal Beverage has opened six branches. Each branch provides sales, customer service, vending service, food service, local delivery and equipment maintenance. The company owns and operates more than 460 vehicles that support its distribution services, fleet of tractor-trailers, automobiles, route trucks, service trucks and forklifts. In 1999, the company acquired a bottling plant in Anaheim, Calif., dedicated to the aseptic and chilled demands for Southern California. Nor-Cal Beverage was established as Hires Bottling Company in 1937.