PepsiCo Beverages Americas Flexes Distribution Muscles with FRS Healthy Energy Alliance

Deal with The FRS Company Gives PepsiCo Access to Fast-Growing Quercetin Category

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Jun 17, 2010, 11:22 ET

PURCHASE, N.Y., June 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) today announced that its PepsiCo Beverages Americas (PBA) sector has signed an agreement with The FRS Company (Foster City, Calif.) to distribute its FRS® Healthy Energy® brand of products, which contain a patented formula of the highest purity quercetin available (QU995™), green tea extract and essential vitamins. The deal is the latest evidence of PepsiCo's unrivaled go-to-market infrastructure, which recently has secured similar deals with other fast-emerging brands such as Tampico, Muscle Milk, and ONE.

Under the terms of the agreement, PepsiCo will be the exclusive distributor for FRS' ready-to-drink beverages, powders, and soft chews in select channels spanning markets outside the Western U.S., 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 The FRS Company. "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 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."

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses - Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade - also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. In recognition of its continued sustainability efforts, PepsiCo was named for the third time to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and for the fourth time to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) in 2009. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

About The FRS Company

The FRS Company 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 visit FRS.com to purchase online or to locate a retailer.

SOURCE PepsiCo