A Family Tradition of Business
and Community Involvement

It All Began with Pepsin and Cola Nuts

North Carolina, 1893. Caleb Bradham created and sold “Brad’s Drink,” a beverage featuring pepsin and cola nuts, from his pharmacy. In 1898, he re-named the drink Pepsi-Cola and set the stage for a beverage tradition.
Fast forward to 1941. The Pepsi-Cola Company went public and was traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Kyle and Laura Kendall sold their soft drink operation in Bend, Oregon. Kyle and Laura, along with daughter Barbara and son-in-law Harold Corwin, turned their eyes to the future, moved to Vancouver and purchased the franchise rights to the Pepsi-Cola product line and the local Vancouver Beverage Company. They started in business as the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company with one truck, three employees and a product line of Pepsi, Nesbitt’s Orange, flavored drinks and Howel’s Root Beer. Along with their employees, Laura made the syrup, scrutinized the quality on the bottling line and did the paper work. Harold and Kyle Kendall helped load the trucks, and delivered and sold the products. An early newspaper advertisement for the company featured an extra large bottle of Howel’s Root Beer as a perfect accompaniment for a fishing trip. The cost? Five cents.

A Modern Architectural Image for Corwin Beverage

As the business expanded, it needed an exciting building which reflected the modern design of the times. Kyle Kendall’s background as a building Pepsi Ad contractor stood him in good stead for the flagship Streamlined Moderne-style plant, conveniently located near rail lines and highways at 812 W. 11th Street in downtown Vancouver. With its distinctive tower and flowing lines, the building was expanded many times and provided a home for the firm from 1941 to 2003. An existing building was also purchased in Longview, WA to accommodate Cowlitz County customers. In 1969, a new warehouse facility was constructed in Kelso, WA.

In 1976, Corwin Beverage Company and other Pepsi independent bottlers in the area combined resources to build a production plant in Tumwater, Washington. In 2006, the Tumwater facility, along with the Mt. Angel Oregon production facility and other Washington and Oregon Pepsi Bottlers merged and formed Pepsi Northwest Beverages for product production.

Growing Family, Growing Business

Harold Corwin returned from the Navy at the end of World War II and was the ultimate Pepsi promoter. The Corwin family grew along with the business with the arrival of Nancy in 1944 and Kyle in late 1946. Both started their careers in the business in the late 1960’s. In 1972, the family business was incorporated and named Corwin Beverage Company with Harold at the helm. Under their father’s tutelage, transition took place and Kyle Corwin became president of the company and Nancy, vice-president. Kyle, like his father, was the ultimate Pepsi promoter. Kyle’s daughters Courtney Corwin Barker and Heidi Piper Schultz joined the company full time in 1998. Nancy’s son Erik Bjerkman joined the company in 2002. Kyle passed away in November 2006 and is missed to this day. The proud family tradition continues today, with Kyle’s wife Kathy, Nancy, Courtney, Heidi, Erik and a great management team.

More changes were in store for Corwin Beverage. In 2003, Kyle Corwin fulfilled his dream of consolidating the family’s two locations. A site was selected in Ridgefield, Washington and he spearheaded the building of a new 100,000 square foot facility. The new site contains a poignant reminder of the company’s origins – roses which were planted by Laura Kendall to grace the original building were transplanted to the new site where they flourish as part of the ongoing tradition.

Packaging Innovations and Product Diversification

Packaging methods changed over the years, as did product lines. The “Pepsi Generation” of the late 1970s saw the introduction of two-liter plastic bottles to the previous line of all-glass containers. About a decade later, 20-ounce plastic bottles became the norm. In 1983, Corwin became one of the first bottlers in the northwest to produce fountain syrup in a box for easier distribution. Modes of packaging continue to evolve to use less material overall, and more incorporation of recycled components. City Busses

Changing tastes in the late 1990s brought bottled water, Dole juices, and Lipton Tea to the company’s non-carbonated portfolio. Corwin continued to expand with SoBe in 2000, and their first energy drink, Amp, in 2001. The energy portfolio currently holds four varieties. Corwin adds around 50 product innovations every year to serve its more than 3000 retail customers. The company is consistently among tops in sales for the Pacific Northwest region, and was runner-up for Bottler of the Year in 2005 for the Western Zone.

A Strong Tradition of Community Partnerships

Corwin Beverage has a long record of public service for the people of southwest Washington. “Pepsi Day” is a standing tradition at the Clark and Cowlitz county fairs. The company is also active with the “Go Fourth Fest” in Cowlitz County. Corwin is a proud supporter of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust, YMCA, YWCA, and Southwest Washington Medical Center as well as a donor of beverages to dozens of local non-profit groups and community events each year.