Which company did PepsiCo acquire in 1998, adding the Tropicana juice brand to its portfolio?

PepsiCo acquired Tropicana Products in 1998, adding the Tropicana juice brand to its portfolio.

Tropicana was founded by Anthony T. Rossi, who developed an orange-juice business in Florida and introduced innovations including chilled, ready-to-serve juice. The brand became one of the best-known names in packaged orange juice before PepsiCo purchased it.

The acquisition expanded PepsiCo’s beverage business beyond carbonated soft drinks. Tropicana’s juice products gave the company a strong position in the refrigerated juice category and complemented PepsiCo’s existing snack and beverage operations.

PepsiCo later acquired The Quaker Oats Company in 2001, which brought Gatorade into the portfolio. That timing causes frequent confusion: Tropicana came through the 1998 acquisition, while Gatorade came through Quaker Oats in 2001.