PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi
 Even as it tussled to take full control of its Somers-based bottling affiliate amidst a decline in beverage sales, PepsiCo Inc. was able to increase North American sales at its Frito-Lay division.
For the second fiscal quarter ending June 13, Purchase-based PepsiCo revenue was down 3 percent from a year earlier to $10.6 billion, and profits dropped 2 percent to $2.8 billion.
“Consumers find nourishment, simple pleasures and great value in our products, which keeps them loyal to our brands in these tough times,” Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, said in a statement. “We are investing aggressively in (research and development) to drive innovation to further differentiate our brands; and we believe now is the time to invest in key markets that represent enormous opportunities for years to come.”
To that end, Nooyi was in Moscow to open a new bottling plant, part of a plan to invest $1 billion in Russia over the next three years alongside its Somers-based affiliate Pepsi Bottling Group. The company is also undertaking a $1 billion expansion in China.
In May, PepsiCo filed a lawsuit against Pepsi Bottling Group and some of its directors, alleging they intentionally failed to provide notice of a PBG board meeting at which directors voted in favor of a “poison pill” agreement as a safeguard against takeovers, which PepsiCo said would violate its rights as a shareholder. In April, PepsiCo had offered to buy all the shares of Pepsi Bottling Group and PepsiAmericas it does not already own, with PBJ rejecting the bid.
Purchase-based Pepsi is the second largest corporate employer in Westchester County after Armonk-based IBM Corp.
