G&J Pepsi

G&J Pepsi is a family-owned, independent Pepsi bottler founded in 1925 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nearly a century later it remains privately held and led by third-generation members of the founding families - Steve Kaplan, Rick Kaplan, T.R. Gross and Walter Gross III - and is the largest family-owned, independent bottler within the PepsiCo franchise system. The company has held PepsiCo franchising rights since 1935.

Its operations span beverage production and bottling, manufacturing, and distribution and logistics across Ohio and Kentucky, supported by 14 production and distribution facilities and more than 1,900 employees. G&J Pepsi produces and distributes a portfolio of over 600 products across 30+ beverage brands, supplying thousands of retail locations, convenience stores, restaurant accounts and vending accounts throughout the two states. Technical domains within the business include beverage production and bottling, manufacturing operations, distribution and logistics, sales and customer service, IT and cybersecurity resilience, and workforce development.

The company states that it treats employees with dignity and respect, values integrity, and aims to foster a motivating work environment, supported by competitive benefits and career growth opportunities. It also runs community engagement programmes and has demonstrated operational resilience, including recovery from a 2021 ransomware attack. Alongside its commercial commitments to high-quality products and customer service, these practices underpin the working environment across its Ohio and Kentucky operations.