PepsiCo acquired Quaker Oats, including Gatorade, in 2001.
PepsiCo completed its acquisition of The Quaker Oats Company in 2001. The deal brought the Gatorade sports-drink brand into PepsiCo’s portfolio, significantly strengthening the company’s position in beverages beyond its traditional Pepsi soft drink business.
The Quaker Oats Company had acquired Stokely-Van Camp, the owner of Gatorade, in 1983. Gatorade itself had been developed in 1965 by researchers at the University of Florida for the school’s football team, the Gators, which inspired the name.
The acquisition is sometimes described as a purchase of Gatorade alone, but PepsiCo bought Quaker Oats as a whole. Quaker’s portfolio also included oatmeal and other food products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 through the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay.