RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pepsi Bottling Ventures, LLC (PBV) today announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent to purchase the assets of Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Conway-Myrtle Beach, Inc., the Pepsi-Cola franchise bottler based in Conway, South Carolina. The terms of the LOI provide for a closing by the end of December 2009.

The Pepsi Conway-Myrtle Beach business, established by their grandfather William E. Carpenter in the 1930s, is owned today by sisters Anne Ervin and Hayden Quattlebaum. The bottler's franchise territory of Marion and Horry counties is serviced by Conway and Marion, SC sales and distribution centers. It includes Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, popular vacation destinations. This area hosts over 13 million visitors every year and is known as one of the top tourism destinations in the Southeastern United States due to its many beach activities, family attractions, lodging and meeting facilities.

PBV President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Reimer said, "We are very excited to welcome Pepsi of Conway-Myrtle Beach to the PBV family. Contiguous to PBV's existing territory, this growing business is located in a vibrant area where the population is on the rise. The company has been known for their culture of providing superior customer service with strong ties to the local community. We look forward to building on those strengths and leveraging our scale and operating capability to further expand the Pepsi business in South Carolina."

Pepsi Bottling Ventures, LLC (www.pepsibottlingventures.com) is the nation's largest privately held Pepsi-Cola bottler, operating 26 manufacturing, distribution, and sales facilities in North Carolina, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Vermont, and Idaho, serving over 9 million consumers. PBV is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.

SOURCE Pepsi Bottling Ventures, LLC

SOURCE: Pepsi Bottling Ventures, LLC

Web site: http://www.pepsibottlingventures.com/