PepsiCo Honors Sunsweet

PepsiCo has named Sunsweet Growers Inc. its Hot Fill Co-packer of the Year for superior achievements in quality and overall effectiveness across the consumer packaged goods giant’s beverage supply chain. The grower-owned marketing cooperative has received the distinction twice previously, for its Yuba City, Calif., facility in 2007 and its Fleetwood, Pa., facility in 2008.

Additionally, in 2011, PepsiCo bestowed the Strategic Partner Award on Sunsweet, one of the world’s largest handlers of dried fruits, including dried plums, apricots, cranberries and raisins, for its achievements in efficiency and innovation across PepsiCo’s beverage business.

Yuba City-based Sunsweet, which has teamed with PepsiCo since 2002, was selected from more than 70 co-packers for the Hot Fill Co-packer of the Year honor. Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo evaluates its packers according to 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,” said PepsiCo's Contract Manufacturing Group. “Further, Sunsweet's flexibility and skill in execution gives us an advantage over the competition."

“Sunsweet is able to meet the challenge of PepsiCo’s commitment to high quality standards,” noted Gene Dodson, Sunsweet’s VP of manufacturing. “In addition, our internal engineers and operations team developed a way to increase production efficiencies to open new opportunities for PepsiCo.”

“We have dedicated and innovative people committed to driving products to market quickly to align with key consumer trends,” added Sunsweet president Dane Lance. “Our ability to provide production efficiencies while exceeding goals and tight deadlines is critical to staying ahead in the ultra-competitive beverage industry. When PepsiCo has introduced new products or has had immediate distribution needs, we have been able to respond rapidly while still maintaining standards of the highest quality.”