When Jay Jessup's grandfather founded the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Central Virginia (PCVA) in Charlottesville, Va., in 1908, he had only a handful of employees, and Pepsi didn't have a standard bottle. "They put it in whatever bottles they had," says Jessup. Now, Jay and his sister Suzanne Brooks are the third generation of Jessups to own the business during its 100+ year history.

A lot has changed. Jay and Suzanne now manage a staff of 370 employees and distribute dozens more products than they used to. Other notable changes through the years include the transition from returnable bottles to non-returnable and increased specialization among the staff. "The truck drivers used to be the salesmen," Jessup says with a chuckle.

PCVA is the American Beverage Association's oldest member bottling company, and it has a rich history. In the 50's and 60's, PCVA bottled and distributed its own line of "Jefferson Club" sodas in a variety of flavors. The company hit its stride in the 80's and 90's under Jay and Suzanne's leadership, and by 2008 it was distributing 10 million cases annually. In the early 2000's, Jay was a member of the ABA board that developed the School Beverage Guidelines and he is proud to say that PCVA hasn't put a sugared soft drink in schools in 20 years. Today, PCVA continues to bottle and distribute many Pepsi and Dr Pepper products, as well as distribute a beverage called Vit-hit, which started in Ireland. 

When asked what excites him about the beverage industry right now, Jay said that Bubly has been a nice addition to their portfolio, and that "the consumer is willing to try new things." 

Through all the changes, PCVA has remained a family-business and it probably will be for the foreseeable future. Both of Jay's daughters work for PCVA and they are helping the company adapt to the industry's changes. The members of the company also care about their community. Several PCVA executives serve on the boards of organizations in Charlottesville, including the United Way, the YMCA, the Paramount Theater, the Salvation Army and the Music Resource Center. Jay told us that detailing the company's community involvement would "take up 10 pages" of our blog. We won't do that, but it's safe to say the PCVA is a valuable member of the Charlottesville community and of the ABA family.