PEOPLE: 2 Key Execs at Surging Monster Brand Sidelined for Health Reasons; Coke Brings in Agency Exec to Rev Ads Mark Hall, free-wheeling Hansen Natural exec who created the Monster energy brand, and Mike Schott, hard-charging sales vet who won it broad DSD distribution, have both been sidelined for medical reasons at a time the co has been unveiling lotsa new products and overseeing distribution transition to Anheuser-Busch wholesalers. Mark is said to be out on medical leave for unspecified period due to gastrointestinal ailment, while Mike recently underwent surgery following early return from NACS show in Las Vegas. Reached in Detroit, Mike politely referred questions about his health to chmn/ceo Rodney Sacks, who did not return call left Wed. Both Mark and Mike are AriZona Iced Tea veterans whose work developing and growing Monster has put once-sleepy Hansen on rocket ride on stock market. We wish them well.

Cott Closing 2 Plants and Cutting Jobs as CSD Biz Stays Sickly Continued weakness in CSDs in North America have led Cott Corp to take further cost-cutting steps. Effective Dec 31, Cott will close bottling plants employing 350 in Elizabethtown, Ky, and Wyomissing, Penn, taking $40-45 mil charge. Closures should yield cost savings of $8 mil in 07. The moves were characterized as

Kraft Seen Pulling Capri Sun Refreshers Line as RTD Biz Takes 9% Revenue Hit Kraft Foods took hit to its RTD bev biz in 3d qtr, with industry execs saying the withdrawal of striking metal-bottle Capri Sun Island Refreshers line may be 1 reason. Food giant reported 2% gain in net revenues to $731 mil for North American Beverages, but Crystal Light and Kool-Aid powdered bevs were the stars, boosted by fast-growing single-serve packs, along with Starbucks and Seattle