Pepsi Plant To Close May 17th

It’s refreshed much of East-Central South Dakota and beyond for over 60 years. And come May 17th, the final bottle will roll off the line at the Pepsi Plant in Huron. Kitty Knutson Director of Advertising and Public Relations for W.P. Beverages of Watertown, Wisconsin confirmed the closure. The Huron Pepsi plant was owned by local businessman Early Nordby, who sold his family bottling company in 2008 and retired from the bottling business, In 2009, a two-point-five million dollars warehouse facility was built on the west side of Mitchell, and daily operations moved from Huron to Mitchell, resulting in the loss of three office jobs. Other employees continue to travel from Huron to Mitchell to work. Knutson declined to confirm the number of affected positions at Huron. However, an employee who declined to be identified confirmed 10 people will lose their jobs. Prior to Nordby selling the plant, it produced 20 ounce and one-liter carbonated Pepsi products, 10 ounce glass bottles of ginger ale, tonic water and club soda under the Seagram’s and Canada Dry labels. The plant was also the home to Clearly H2O bottled water and a number of specailty waters that included bottles for the University of South Dakota and Corn Palace. The plant bottled an energy drink called Zafi that was shipped internationally. It worked with South Dakota State University on a product called MOOM or Made Out Of Milk, that used a whey bi-product to make for a healthier soda pop. Most recently the plant bottled only Hog Wash, a drink for kids in a small bottle with sport-style cap.