Filed by PepsiCo, Inc. pursuant
to
Rule 425 of the Securities Act of 1933
and
deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12 of
the
Securities Exchange Act of
1934
Subject Companies: The Pepsi Bottling
Group, Inc.
Commission File No.:
001-14893
and
PepsiAmericas, Inc.
Commission File No.:
001-15019
June 17,
2009
An Open Letter to All PBG and PAS Associates:
I wanted
to let you know how proud I was of the PepsiCo system sales force during the
recent Ring of Honor event, where we honored PBG, PepsiAmericas, PBV and other independent
bottlers and PepsiCo associates from around the
world. Representing the “best of the best” – the top one quarter of
one percent of the worldwide sales force – your incredible stories of concern
and service for your customers, consumers, communities and teammates is an
inspiration to us all and we enjoyed shining a spotlight on you and the loved
ones you brought to the event.
As you know, PepsiCo has proposed to
acquire both PBG and PepsiAmericas. While
I cannot discuss our pending proposal, including where the process stands,
timing, or potential next steps, I can assure you that we care deeply
about our and your
businesses. Given the sensitivity of this process, I’m sorry to say that I’ll be out of communication with you for
the time being, although we’ll be sharing information along the way
as it is appropriate to do so. Please
know that whatever the outcome
of the current discussions, you, the associates of our public anchor bottlers,
will always be part of the larger PepsiCo family. Our fortunes and
future success are closely intertwined.
In the
meantime, all of us are committed to quality of service and share a common focus
on operational excellence and customer satisfaction heading into the critical
summer selling season. We are excited about our enhanced product
offerings and value initiatives hitting the market and we’re confident our
collective contributions will make a difference. For any questions or comments,
please email us at pepsico@transactioninfo.com.
Keep up
the great work and thank you for your dedication.
Sincerely,
Indra K.
Nooyi
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
PepsiCo
Cautionary Statement
This communication does not constitute an offer to
sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of
any vote or approval. If
PepsiCo, Inc. (“PepsiCo”) enters into definitive agreements in
connection with the proposed transactions with The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc.
(“PBG”) and PepsiAmericas, Inc. (“PAS”) (the “Proposed
Transactions”), PepsiCo plans to file with the
Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”) registration statements on Form S-4
containing proxy statements/prospectuses and other documents with respect to each of
the Proposed Transactions and definitive proxy statements/prospectuses would be
mailed to shareholders of PBG and PAS. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF PBG AND PAS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY
STATEMENTS/PROSPECTUSES AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT WOULD BE FILED
WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY
BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS.
If PepsiCo enters into definitive
agreements in connection with the Proposed Transactions, investors and
security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration
statements and the proxy statements/prospectuses (when available) and other
documents filed with the SEC by PepsiCo through the website
maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Free copies of
the registration statements and the proxy statements/prospectuses (when
available) and other documents filed with the SEC will also be available free of charge
on
PepsiCo's internet website at
www.pepsico.com or by contacting PepsiCo's Investor
Relations Department at 914-253- 3035.
PepsiCo and its directors and executive
officers and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation
of proxies in respect of the Proposed Transactions. Information regarding PepsiCo's directors
and executive officers is available in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 27, 2008, which was filed with the SEC on February 19, 2009, and its proxy
statement for its 2009 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the
SEC on March 24, 2009. Other information
regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their
direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be
contained in the proxy statements/prospectuses and other relevant
materials to be filed with the SEC when they become
available.
Statements in this release that are
“forward-looking
statements” are based on
currently available information, operating plans and projections about
future events and trends.
They inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those predicted in such forward-looking statements.
Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: PepsiCo's
ability to enter into definitive agreements
with respect to the Proposed Transactions; PepsiCo's ability to achieve the
synergies and value creation contemplated by the Proposed Transactions;
PepsiCo's ability to promptly and effectively integrate the businesses of PBG, PAS and PepsiCo; the timing to consummate
the Proposed Transactions and any necessary actions to obtain required
regulatory approvals; the diversion of management time on transaction-related
issues; changes in demand for PepsiCo's products, as a result of shifts in consumer
preferences or otherwise; increased costs, disruption of supply or shortages of
raw materials and other supplies; unfavorable economic conditions and increased
volatility in foreign exchange rates; PepsiCo's ability to build and sustain proper information
technology infrastructure, successfully implement its ongoing business process
transformation initiative or outsource certain functions effectively; damage to
PepsiCo's reputation; trade consolidation, the loss of any key customer, or failure to maintain good
relationships with PepsiCo's bottling partners, including as a result of the
Proposed Transactions; PepsiCo's ability to hire or retain key employees or a
highly skilled and diverse workforce; changes in the legal and regulatory environment; disruption of
PepsiCo's supply chain; unstable political conditions, civil unrest or other
developments and risks in the countries where PepsiCo operates; and risks that
benefits from PepsiCo's Productivity for Growth initiative may not be achieved, may take longer to
achieve than expected or may cost more than currently
anticipated.
For additional information on these and
other factors that could cause PepsiCo's actual results to materially differ
from those set forth herein, please see PepsiCo's filings with the
SEC, including its most recent annual
report on Form
10-K and subsequent reports on Forms
10-Q and 8-K. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. All information in this
communication is as of June
17, 2009. PepsiCo undertakes no obligation
to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.