09.01.09
Purchase, NY-based PepsiCo, Inc. has agreed to acquire Brazil’s largest coconut water company, Amacoco Nordeste Ltda. and Amacoco Sudeste Ltda. (Amacoco). The agreement is the most recent step in PepsiCo’s strategic transformation of its beverage portfolio and marks the company’s entry into the fast-growing market for coconut water. Amacoco makes and sells Brazil’s top-selling coconut water brands, Kero Coco and Trop Coco. Together they account for the bulk of packaged coconut water sales in the country, making PepsiCo the category leader. Within the last year, PepsiCo has announced plans to invest more than $3.3 billion in Latin America over the next several years. “Amacoco will complement our current business and enhance our growth prospects throughout Latin America and beyond,” said Massimo d’Amore, CEO, PepsiCo Americas Beverages (PAB). “Even in the nascent U.S. market, coconut water sales are enjoying extraordinary growth.” The agreement includes two manufacturing facilities as well as exclusive contracts to assure a supply of high-quality coconut water from partners with longstanding expertise in coconut planting and harvesting.