The film company "Protagonist" from Los Angeles, CA was in Sidney on Monday filming at Blue Rock Products. Blue Rock, along with two other bottlers, has been nominated by Pepsi Cola for the Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year Award. The award will be presented during the national convention later this year. Protagonist just came from filming at LinPepCo Siouxland in South Sioux City, NE and will be at Pepsi Bottling Company of Luverne, Alabama next week. Pictured, Matti Leshem, director, executive producer and owner of Protagonist, gets ready to interview Eric Beenken, general manager of Blue Rock. (Photo by Dianne Swanson)
One of Pepsi-Cola's finest-performing bottlers anywhere is a familiar presence throughout Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota.
Blue Rock Products Company of Sidney has been named among three finalists for the company's Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year Award, the highest honor given to independent Pepsi bottlers by PepsiCo Americas Beverages (PAB). Led by President and CEO John L. Olson, Blue Rock qualified for consideration after meeting or exceeding a rigorous series of award criteria, clearly identifying the local bottler among the best of the best in the PAB franchise system.
Blue Rock, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013, was chosen as a finalist based on a number of sales, service and quality metrics, as well as performance advancing PAB's strategic imperatives and – vitally – local community involvement and support.
"Local businesses that cater to their customers, care for their communities and confound their competitors make us who we are," says Mario Mercurio, senior vice president and general manager of PAB's Franchise Business Unit. "Pepsi was built on the extraordinary skill and dedication of independent bottlers like Blue Rock. We continue to grow together thanks to terrific partners like the Olson family and the great job they and their team do each day in 20 counties across Montana and North Dakota."
Named for PepsiCo's legendary former chairman and CEO, the Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year Award was established in 1994 to recognize the very best Pepsi-Cola bottlers in the United States and Canada. Since 2010, when PepsiCo reentered the North American bottling business, the award has been dedicated solely to the company's independent franchise bottling partners.
In addition to Blue Rock, two other finalists are being considered for this year's honor: Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Luverne, Ala., and LinPepCo's Siouxland franchise, which serves parts of Iowa and Nebraska. All three will be celebrated and the ultimate award recipient will be announced during PAB's national bottler meeting, Sept. 8-11, in New Orleans.
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