Under the terms of the agreement, PepsiCo will be the exclusive distributor for FRS' ready-to-drink beverages, powders and soft chews in select [image-nocss] channels spanning markets outside the western United States, where the brand has posted strong growth for several years. The agreement is effective immediately and PBA will begin distribution in September. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"PepsiCo's robust go-to-market system is the perfect choice for FRS to further accelerate our already-rapid growth, which is being fueled by growing recognition of the strong science behind quercetin and our passionate base of loyal users," said Carl Sweat, president and CEO of FRS. "Like us, PepsiCo is passionate about bringing innovative products to consumers, and their flexibility in exploring hybrid distribution strategies is rare for a company of their scale."
"By teaming up with FRS, we are continuing to show the ability of our go-to-market systems to fuel various growth segments," said Tom Greco, Executive vice president and chief commercial officer for PepsiCo Beverages Americas. "FRS has established itself as a leading functional nutrition/wellness brand, and adding it to our portfolio will enable us to capitalize on its full potential."
Sweat added, "Having a company of the caliber of PepsiCo associated with our brand is an important validation of FRS. With PepsiCo, we'll be able to greatly extend the reach of the FRS brand and put it in the hands of more consumers than ever before."
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo offers a global portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Its main businesses include Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade.
FRS produces and distributes its FRS Healthy Energy products in a variety of formulations ready-to-drink cans, liquid concentrates, soft chews and powdered drink mixes -- to suit customers' needs. All FRS offerings contain a patented mix with the highest purity quercetin available (QU995), green tea extract and essential vitamins. Customers can visitwww.FRS.com to purchase online or to locate a retailer.
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