In the beverage market, no one understands the importance of the hometown community more than bottlers and distributors. Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Lenexa, Kansas, is no exception.

In 1947, six employees in a wooden World War II Army hangar in Mississippi began distributing Canada Dry products. Today, that small operation has grown into a three-generation, family-run PepsiCo Inc. franchise with 328 SKUs.

On the drive through Crenshaw County in Alabama, motorists will see a number of small towns, vast woodlands and maybe a few deer. But as drivers pass the handful of restaurants and general stores throughout the county, they might also notice something else: the Pepsi logo.

Based in Draper, Utah, Swire Coca-Cola USA historically has served mostly rural areas in 11 Western states.