Pepsi-Cola North America (PCNA) has named Brown Bottling Group its Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year for 2006. Named for PepsiCo’s former chairman and founder, this is the highest honor bestowed upon PCNA’s bottling partners.

Accompanied by PCNA President and CEO Dawn Hudson, Mr. Kendall presented the award to Brown Bottling President and CEO Bill Brown at a ceremony during PCNA’s national bottler meeting in Dallas on Sept. 20.

Bottler of the Year finalists are nominated based on key criteria, including customer service, community support, volume and sales growth, quality standards and performance against the company’s strategic imperatives.

Bill Brown led Brown Bottling Group to a three-year per capita winning streak, in which compound annual growth rose nearly 10 percent on the strength of regular carbonated soft drinks. Diet soft drinks and non-carbonated beverages all increased their volume since the beginning of 2005. The franchise’s four-year per capita growth is highest within the PCNA system.

“Brown Bottling Group embodies Pepsi-Cola’s winning spirit,” Hudson said. “As a system, we’re looking to reinvent soft drinks and Brown is ahead of the curve. It’s remarkable how they’ve been able to grow share locally in a category that’s declining nationally. Bill and his team have set the gold standard for our entire bottling network and for that, we commend them.”

In recognition of their generous support, Pepsi-Cola North America presented the bottler with a $5,000 Donald M. Kendall Community Grant. With that, Brown Bottling Group made a donation to the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital and the Mississippi Children’s Cancer Clinic. The hospital is the only hospital in the state devoted exclusively to the care and treatment of sick and injured children. An essential part of the hospital’s care program is the cancer clinic. Since 1969, the clinic has provided care to more than 1,200 pediatric oncology patients annually, in a teaching, learning and research environment.

Jackson-based Brown Bottling Group is the refreshment beverage unit of central and southern Mississippi. Some of their brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Aquafina, Sierra Mist, SoBe, Mug, Tropicana Juice Drinks, Dole and Ocean Spray. The company also markets North America’s best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks.