Practically everyone who grew up in Northern Ireland remembers the Maine mineral van coming with a crate of goodies every week. Flavours like Sarsaparilla, Pineappleade and American Cream Soda came in glass bottles which were returned empty and new ones replaced them.

It all began when the Harkness family established a soft drinks business, Braid Mineral Water Co., in Ballymena in 1919. The founder’s son, John Harkness, decided to branch out on his own in 1949 and formed Maine Soft Drinks. In 1959 the business relocated to its current premises in Ballymoney.
 
The company is still owned by the Harkness family and is now into its 4th generation.
 
It has expanded and branched out in different ways including supplying to supermarkets and contract bottling. They are also exporting to various companies on the UK mainland.

Regardless of expansion the doorstep delivery side of the business is still very important, with more than 40,000 homes supplied on a weekly / fortnightly basis.
 
Maine Soft Drinks employs more than 100 people, half of which are based in Ballymoney and the other half spread throughout Northern Ireland in depots located in Lurgan, Belfast and Derry-Londonderry.