OCTOBER 24, 2022 -- PURCHASE, NEW YORK – PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) named Refreshment Services, Inc. (RSI) in Key West, FL its 2021 Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year.
Named for PepsiCo’s revered former chairman and chief executive officer, the Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year Award was created in 1994 to honor the very best of the best among independent Pepsi-Cola bottlers in the United States and Canada.
RSI’s remarkable commitment to its people, service to their community, and partnership with PepsiCo have earned them this top honor.
The award was presented to Jason Murphy, General Manager and Mike Bartel, Corporate Vice President at RSI by PBNA CEO Kirk Tanner and Paul Finney, SVP, Strategic Partnerships for PBNA, at an awards ceremony held on Tuesday, October 18.
In 2021, RSI demonstrated resilience and perseverance while facing macro-economic challenges resulting from the global pandemic. RSI in Key West, located in the southernmost point in Florida, showed that no logistical hurdle would slow their business
growth.
“This recognition is just a small indicator of the resilience and agility this RSI team demonstrates year after year,” said Heather Hoytink, President of PBNA’s South Division. RSI is an organization that is committed to the vision to
operate as ‘one blue system’, to sharing insights to help us further develop franchise bottler best practices and most of all, to making the Key West community a better place for all.”
RSI Key West is firmly entrenched in the community as well. In addition to outstanding business performance, they uplifted their community by supporting the Samuel’s House, an organization dedicated to providing a safe and supportive haven for women,
women with children, and intact families who are without a home.
“On behalf of Refreshment Services Key West and all RSI employees, we are so honored and humbled to have won the prestigious Donald M. Kendall Award, and we thank PepsiCo (PBNA) for their recognition and support,” said Mike Bartel, Corporate
Vice President. “RSI Key West is comprised of an exemplary group of employees who, under the leadership of Jason Murphy, Barry Bivens, Jimmy Phelps, Jacob Sawyer and Nancy DAmato, have demonstrated executional excellence and a strong commitment
to their customers, all while giving back to the community in a significant way. We could not be prouder of our whole RSI Key West team.”
Also honored as Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year finalists were LinPepCo Alliance in the Central Division, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Corbin, KY in the North Division, Admiral Beverage – Springville, UT in the West Division, and Alex Coulombe
Ltd from the Canada Division.
About Refreshment Services, Inc. (RSI)
RSI is a privately held, independent bottler for Pepsi-Cola products comprised of 7 distribution centers located across the central and southern parts of the United States with its corporate office located in Springfield, Illinois.
Established in 1934, in Taylorville Illinois, as a small independent distributer of beverage & food products it grew into the company it is today. Instilled with the same principals and ethics when first started generations ago, RSI strives to abide
by that same strict standard of social and corporate responsibility to provide superior service for our customers, our communities, and our consumers not just today, but for generations to come.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage
and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that
generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation
that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.