Buffalo Rock Company’s Columbus, GA franchise North America’s PepsiCo Beverages Bottler of the Year Award!

Buffalo Rock Company’s Columbus, GA franchise has been honored with PepsiCo Beverages North America’s (PBNA) 2023 Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year award! This prestigious recognition highlights the franchise’s commitment to excellence, community involvement, and outstanding business performance. The Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year award is the highest honor bestowed upon PBNA’s bottling partners. In addition to this achievement, the franchise also celebrated back-to-back wins as Bottler of the Year for PBNA’s South Division.

In a ceremony held on July 15, President and CEO Matthew Dent accepted the award from PBNA CEO Ram Krishnan and SVP Paul Finney. This accolade not only celebrates the team’s hard work but also underscores the strong, mutually beneficial relationship maintained with PepsiCo since 1951.

Named for PepsiCo’s revered former chairman and chief executive officer, the Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year Award was created in 1994 to honor the very best among independent Pepsi-Cola bottlers in the United States and Canada.

Matthew Dent, President and CEO at Buffalo Rock Company, received the award from PBNA CEO Ram Krishnan and Paul Finney, SVP of Strategic Partnerships for PBNA, at the awards ceremony on July 15. “This award is a true reflection of the dedication and passion for our customers that we bring to work each day,” stated Trent Davidson, Buffalo Rock Company’s Regional Vice President for the Georgia region. “All of our Employee-Partners are very proud of our Columbus franchise for their exceptional achievements and for setting such a high standard for others to follow.”

As a three-time Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year Finalist and the largest single-family run PBNA bottler, Buffalo Rock Company is recognized for delivering outstanding business results, exhibiting executional excellence, embracing a people-first mentality, and giving back to the community. Since partnering in 1951, Buffalo Rock Company has demonstrated leadership in fostering a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with PepsiCo. The company continues to deliver volume growth year after year and has been instrumental in rolling out key partnerships. Additionally, Buffalo Rock Company is actively involved in their local communities, including recruiting veterans at their Fort Moore site and volunteering at local events like MLK Serve Day at Safehouse Ministries and Earth Day at Columbus State University.

“Buffalo Rock Company has a long history of outstanding results, and their team is integral to our shared success,” said Heather Hoytink, President of PBNA’s South Division. “Their achievements can be largely attributed to their ongoing commitment to putting their people first and using their platform to advance the greater good of their business, their community, and their partners.”

“Winning this award validates the hard work and innovative efforts of our Columbus franchise team and encourages all of us at Buffalo Rock to continue striving for excellence,” said Matthew Dent, Buffalo Rock Company’s President and CEO. “An important aspect of this recognition is that it reflects our customers and community partners are also winning, which is incredibly important to us.”

Chattahoochee Valley Living, along with our TV Stations—WLTZ NBC 38, CW GA-BAMA, and Antenna-TV—congratulates Trent Davidson and his entire team at Buffalo Rock Columbus, Georgia Company for their outstanding achievement and recognition as the best in North America. You make Columbus, Georgia proud!