For Charles Rogers, being part of the Pepsi bottler network has been about the legacy. That legacy began in 1943 when his grandfather E.L. Rogers and his uncle Dutch Rogers partnered to buy a Pepsi franchise. Originally based in Eufaula, Okla., the franchise moved to McAlester, Okla., in 1954 and would go on to become Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. (PCBC) of McAlester, Okla. But more recently, the CEO of PCBC of McAlester revealed a different take on what legacy truly means.
What helped change that legacy was when PCBC of McAlester was nominated and subsequently won the 2019 Donald M. Kendall Bottler of the Year Award from PepsiCo. The company also is a nominee for the 2020 award.