On Jan. 15, Birmingham-based Pepsi bottler Buffalo Rock sued PepsiCo for breach of contract, alleging the franchisor has failed to stop the transshipping of unauthorized products such as Pepsi-Cola and Mtn Dew into Buffalo Rock’s exclusive territory. Buffalo Rock’s franchise rights cover portions of Alabama, West Georgia and Florida. The lawsuit asks for at least $1 million in actual damages, plus more for punitive damages. PepsiCo’s company-owned bottler, Pepsi Beverages Co., also is named.
Monster Beverage CEO Rodney Sacks has disclosed an arbitration case with the company’s chief distributor and equity partner Coca-Cola. At the center of the disagreement is a product Coke is developing under its flagship brand called Coca-Cola Energy. The drink will contain “caffeine from naturally-derived sources and guarana extract,” according to Coke. “It would be developed as a preferred option for people who want these types of ingredients in an energy drink.” The innovation would include a