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PepsiCo

technology Maturity 7-9 Next article →

PepsiCo is a huge company that makes many foods and drinks.

Plaza Venezuela, Caracas
Plaza Venezuela, Caracas

It is the second-largest food and beverage business in the world. This means it is only behind a company called Nestlé in size. The company is based in Harrison, New York. It sells products in more than 200 different countries and territories. This huge reach helps the company make over $70 billion in sales every year. Many people know the company because of its famous drinks. There is a long rivalry between Pepsi and Coca-Cola called the "cola wars."

How the company works involves many different steps. First, they manufacture their products in large plants. Then, they must distribute these items to stores. They also work hard on marketing to tell people about their brands. Some drinks are made by PepsiCo itself. Other drinks are made by licensed bottlers in certain parts of the world.

Texas-shaped basket with chips
Texas-shaped basket with chips

The company also uses many different divisions to manage its work. One division handles drinks in North America, while another handles snacks like Frito-Lay. This helps them organize their huge variety of goods.

The story of PepsiCo began with a man named Caleb Bradham. He was a pharmacist from Duplin County, North Carolina. In 1898, he created a drink called Pepsi-Cola. He sold it from his pharmacy in New Bern, North Carolina. In 1902, he started the Pepsi-Cola Company. He even got a patent for his recipe in 1903. However, things became hard during World War I because of sugar rationing. This caused the company to go bankrupt in 1923. Later, a man named Charles Guth helped the brand grow again by using his candy company, Loft, Incorporated.

PepsiCo has grown by buying many other famous brands. In 1965, the Pepsi-Cola Company merged with Frito-Lay, Inc. to form PepsiCo. Since then, they have added many more names to their list. In 1998, they bought Tropicana Products. In 2001, they bought the Quaker Oats Company. This deal gave them the Gatorade brand. In 2020, they bought Pioneer Foods for $1.7 billion. As of 2021, they had 23 brands that each made over $1 billion in yearly sales. They also recently bought brands like SodaStream and Siete Foods.

You can find PepsiCo products in almost any grocery store. You might eat Lay's potato chips or Doritos tortilla chips.

Texas-shaped basket with chips
Texas-shaped basket with chips

You might also drink Gatorade after playing sports. Some people drink Pepsi or Mountain Dew when they want a soda. Even breakfast items like Quaker oats come from this company. The company is now led by a chief executive named Ramon Laguarta. He has been the top leader since 2018. PepsiCo is even working to help the planet. They want to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

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