Coke Rival To Invest Big in Russia

The number two soft drink maker behind Atlanta-based CocaCola, PepsiCo says it will team up with its largest bottler, Pepsi Bottling Group, to invest $1 billion in Russia over three years. PepsiCo calls it part of a long-term strategy to expand in emerging markets. The investment will be used to boost manufacturing and distribution capacity in Russia - an "attractive growth market." PepsiCo is also opening a new beverage facility this week in Domodedovo and will open a snacks manufacturing plant in Azov later this year. The PepsiCo plant in Domodedovo will produce Pepsi-Cola andother beverages. Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo is the world's second-biggest maker of soft drinks behind Coca-Cola Co.

(Associated Press)

Georgia's new anti-litter initiative

Georgia has entered into a new partnership to promote the state’s anti-litter campaign. Pepsi trucks will display Georgia’s anti-litter mascot Buster the Brown Trasher and anti-litter messages. The trucks will also display the logo of Pepsi and Wild Adventures Theme Park. Governor Sonny Perdue calls litter a nuisance that costs Georgians millions of dollars a year, drives down property taxes and destroys natural resources.

Coke in, Pepsi out at NASCAR

Atlanta-based Coca Cola Company has inked a ten year deal that gives the company, near exclusive distribution and marketing rights to what some describe as the nation's fastest growing spectator sports ... NASCAR. The agreement with International Speedway Corp. ("ISC"), adds an additional ten races to Coke's roster. That brings to 17 the number of tracks where Coke will have exclusive marketing and distribution rights beginning in 2008. The deal nearly drives Coke's chief rival, Pepsi, out of the lucrative NASCAR market. Included in the deal, the Daytona 500, which Pepsi has sponsored for nearly all of its 49 year history. Susan Stribling is with Coca Cola and says the company is revving up for 2008, when Coke debuts at the Daytona 500. "We’ve had almost a 40 year relationship with NASCAR in some form, with cars that we’ve sponsored, tracks and that sort of thing, but to see it expand even further, just makes everybody down here really excited." Although International Speedway Corp. won't confirm exact numbers, in 2004 the company estimates its mostly male fan base at around 75 million. Stock in Pepsi Corporation was slightly down Monday on trading volume of nearly 3-million shares.

Coca Cola expands NASCAR sponsorship

A NASCAR sponsorship deal is set to be announced that gives Coca-Cola exclusive pouring and marketing rights at Daytona International Speedway and nine other tracks nationwide. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that deal will be announced later today.

Pepsi currently serves the 10 tracks in this deal, and has been at Daytona’s track for 49 years. The event just this Saturday night, the ‘Pepsi 400’, will be renamed with a Coke brand for 2008. By the year 2011, Atlanta-based Coke is expected to have rights at all but five tracks on the current NASCAR top racing circuit.

Former Coke secretary gets 8 years

A former Coca-Cola secretary has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for
conspiring to steal and sell trade secrets.

In her sentencing hearing, Joya Williams was tearful when she apologized to federal judge Owen Forrester. It was the first time she had admitted her guilt.

The 42-year-old Williams was convicted on February 2nd on a single conspiracy charge. Williams tried to sell classified information about a product from Atlanta-based Coke to rival Pepsi for 1.5 million dollars. She worked with two men who have pleaded guilty in the scheme. One of those other defendants, Ibrahim Dimson, received five years in prison today.

Judge Forrester said such an offense cannot be tolerated in society. His eight-year sentence for Williams was higher than what had been recommended by federal prosecutors. They suggested no more than six-and-a-half years.

Coke settles benzene lawsuits

In Georgia business news -- Atlanta-based Coca-Cola has reached a settlement in lawsuits seeking to force soft-drink makers to eliminate ingredients that can form cancer-causing benzene. In settling cases in three states, Coke agreed to offer replacement drinks to anyone who purchased Fanta Pineapple or Vault Zero before September 2006. Coke says it’s also voluntarily decided to reformulate the two beverages. Other soft-drink makers, including Pepsi, remain defendants in related lawsuits.