DALLAS — Pepsi-Cola North America has recognized Brown Bottling Group as one of four finalists for the 2006 Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year Award.

Brown Bottling Group owns the distribution rights for Pepsi-Cola in central Mississippi and has operations in Jackson, Hattiesburg, McComb, Meridian and Natchez.

Named for PepsiCo’s former chairman and founder, this is the highest honor bestowed upon PCNA’s bottling partners.

Bottler of the Year finalists are nominated based on key criteria, including customer service, community support, volume and sales growth, quality standards and performance against the company’s strategic imperatives.

Despite the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, Bill Brown led Brown Bottling Group to a three-year per capita winning streak, in which compound annual growth has risen by close to 10 percent on the strength of regular carbonated soft drinks. Diet soft drinks and non-carbonated beverages all increased their volume since the beginning of 2005. The franchise’s four-year per capita growth is highest within the PCNA system.

“Brown Bottling Group is the epitome of grace under pressure,” Hudson said. “The company absorbed a telling blow from Hurricane Katrina two summers ago, yet rebounded and kept doing what it does best: servicing customers and expanding its business. We commend Bill and his team for delivering results in the face of adversity and congratulate them on their well-deserved recognition.”

For their generous support, Pepsi-Cola North America presents each finalist with a $5,000 Donald M. Kendall Community Grant. With that, Brown Bottling Group made a donation to the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital and the Mississippi Children’s Cancer Clinic. The hospital is the only hospital in the state devoted exclusively to the care and treatment of sick and injured children. An essential part of the hospital’s care program is the cancer clinic. Since 1969, the clinic has provided care to more then 1,200 pediatric oncology patients annually, in a teaching, learning and research environment.