PepsiCo Names Sunsweet Growers, Inc. as Hot Fill Co-packer of the Year Marking the Second Consecutive Year to Win the Award

YUBA CITY, Calif., July 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year PepsiCo named Sunsweet Growers, Inc. as Hot Fill Co-packer of the Year for exhibiting superior achievements in quality and overall effectiveness across PepsiCo's beverage supply chain. This marks the fourth time Sunsweet is recognized as Co-Packer of the Year.   The three previous awards were for the Yuba City, CA facility in 2007, 2012 and the Fleetwood, PA facility in 2008.

Sunsweet, which has teamed with PepsiCo since 2002, was chosen from more than seventy co-packers for its achievements providing Hot Filled products to PepsiCo North America's supply chain. PepsiCo rated its packers based on quality, customer service, and cost.

"We have supreme confidence in Sunsweet, as they provide high quality, production efficiency and the development of innovative packaging to bring to the marketplace.  Further, Sunsweet's flexibility and skill in execution gives us an advantage over the competition," praised PepsiCo's Contract Manufacturing Group."We are pleased to recognize Sunsweet – Yuba City with our Co-packer of the year for the second consecutive year and the first partner to win the award in consecutive years" said Art Lawrence, Vice President of Contract Manufacturing at PepsiCo.

"PepsiCo has extremely high quality standards and we feel honored to be recognized for meeting such high expectations set forth by an incredible company.  At Sunsweet we challenge ourselves to be the best and to be the recipient of this award in back to back years is an incredible accomplishment" said Matt Kelly, Sunsweet Vice President of Manufacturing.

"We are continually proud of our people and their commitment to meeting the highest standards and for their ability to drive products to market quickly to align with key consumer trends" said Dane Lance, Sunsweet President & CEO. "In the ultra-competitive beverage industry, it's critical to drive production efficiencies, exceed challenging goals and operate on tight deadlines. When PepsiCo introduces new products or has immediate distribution needs, we have been able to meet their needs while maintaining standards of the highest quality."  It is because of our highly dedicated employees that we are receiving this award.  This incredible group of employees, many of whom have been with our company for a significant number of years, understands what it takes to be the best in our industry.  I could not be more proud of our employees  for being the first honored in back to back years."

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com

About Sunsweet Growers

Headquartered in Yuba City, CA, Sunsweet Growers, Inc. is one of the world's largest handlers of dried fruits including dried plums, apricots, cranberries and raisins. A grower-owned marketing cooperative representing a substantial share of the dried plum market worldwide, Sunsweet processes more than 65,000 tons of dried plums a year. Additionally, Sunsweet has state-of-the-art bottling facilities that produce single and multi-serve beverages with capacity of more than 25,000,000 cases annually. Sunsweet boasts enviable brand recognition of 85 percent in American households, placing it in the very top rank of long-standing successful American products.  For more information, please visit www.sunsweet.com

SOURCE Sunsweet Growers, Inc.