News briefs: US power women and geothermal bottling
Pepsi head tops businesswoman poll
PepsiCo chief executive Indra Nooyi has remains Fortune magazine's most powerful US business woman for the third year in a row, according to the publication's latest listing.
The India-born exec was praised by Fortune for her work in offsetting slowing beverage sales in North America by shifting focus to emerging markets worldwide.
Nooyi was also praised for expanding the PepsiCo portfolio into the segment for perceived healthier and functional products such as juices fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.
Beverage and food industry execs performed strongly over the year with Kraft Food's Irene Rosenfeld in second place, a position the publication claims reflects her work in turning around the fortunes of the company. A focus on brand building and working with regional managers was also highlighted as part of her initiatives, according to Fortune.
Water bottler turns to natural power
An Iceland-based mineral water group claims its latest production plant in the country can offset the increasingly chilly attitude from some organisations and consumers over the potential environmental impacts of bottling.
Icelandic Water Holdings, which bottles the Icelandic Glacial mineral water brand, says that it has begun production at its 100 per cent naturally powered bottling plant.
The site, situated in the municipality of Ölfus, is not only able to ensure environmentally sustainable production of the group's brands, but can also, according to the company, improve output as well.
Both Geothermal and hydroelectric power will be used to power 71,688 square foot bottling plant in the attempts to offset the company's carbon footprint linked to production.
As part of the plant's design, the company claims that two bottling plants will be in operation at a rate of 33,000 bottles per hour (bph), an increase of 28,000 bph over the group's existing operations.
To further play up to the plant's focus on energy saving, low-energy, infra red lighting is also incorporated.
Icelandic Glacial's chairman, Jon Olafsson, claimed the group's efforts not only reflected a general Icelandic ethos but also extended the company's previous efforts for sustainable production.
"We have moved production to one of the world's most environmentally advanced bottling facilities ever constructed, further reinforcing our commitment to delivering consumers a product they can drink with a clear conscience," he stated.
