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
THE
FOLLOWING IS THE GENERAL RESPONSE OF INDRA K. NOOYI, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF
PEPSICO, INC., TO MEDIA QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PROPOSAL OF PEPSICO, INC. TO
ACQUIRE THE OUTSTANDING SHARES OF PEPSIAMERICAS, INC. AND THE PEPSI BOTTLING
GROUP, INC. NOT ALREADY OWNED BY PEPSICO, INC.:
“These
proposed acquisitions will help to transform our beverages business by opening
up a whole new level of strategic flexibility to drive growth. We think the
transactions are in the best interests of shareholders and employees of all
three companies. We cannot provide you with additional information at
this time. Please refer to http://www.transactioninfo.com/pepsico.”
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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”, including PepsiCo’s 2009 guidance, 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 our 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; our ability to
build and sustain proper information technology infrastructure, successfully
implement our ongoing business process transformation initiative or outsource
certain functions effectively; damage to our reputation; trade consolidation,
the loss of any key customer, or failure to maintain good relationships with our
bottling partners, including as a result of the Proposed Transactions; our
ability to hire or retain key employees or a highly skilled and diverse
workforce; changes in the legal and regulatory environment; disruption of our
supply chain; unstable political conditions, civil unrest or other developments
and risks in the countries where we operate; and risks that benefits from our
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 April 27, 2009. PepsiCo
undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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