Pepsi and WSU ink 10-year agreement
By Joe Kleinsasser
The Pepsi Bottling Group and Wichita State University have entered into an agreement giving PBG exclusive rights to sell Pepsi-Cola products at all WSU facilities. In return, WSU will receive a minimum of $2.7 million from PBG over the next 10 years. Additional dollars will be generated based on sales.
The relationship with PBG was the result of a competitive bidding process.
The sponsorship agreement provides WSU with an immediate $750,000. WSU President Don Beggs committed that money to Ablah Library.
"These dollars come at a critical time," says Beggs. "The cost of maintaining and upgrading a university library is significant. This funding benefits all of our students, faculty and the Wichita community."
Ruth Jackson, dean of university libraries, says about $230,000 will be used to help establish a library endowment fund to support new academic program initiatives.
Another $250,000 will be invested in additional electronic resources over a multiple-year period to increase student and faculty access to the world’s store of information.
About $270,000 will be used to stabilize the acquisitions budget over a three-year period to provide time to explore alternative approaches for delivery of scholarly information at a time when the cost of scholarly journals and serials increase from 9-13 percent per year.
Jackson says, "We will be looking for ways to match the endowment component of the gift to ensure a steady source of income for support of new program initiatives for future generations of scholars and students at WSU."
Faculty Senate President Willard Klunder says, "It is especially gratifying that President Beggs has decided to allocate the entire $750,000 initial payment under this contract to the Ablah Library. This financial enhancement will assist the library dean, staff and faculty to meet the challenges of evolving technologies and remain true to their vital mission, which is to enhance the quality of research, scholarship and learning at Wichita State University. For years to come, these funds will benefit students, faculty and the Wichita community as a whole."
"PBG is pleased to be affiliated with Wichita State University, a university that’s making a positive difference in people’s lives," says PBG spokesperson Lee Busch, Kansas market unit general manager. "We have enjoyed our relationship with WSU in the past. We look forward to providing the WSU community with great service and products in the years to come."
Pepsi had an agreement with WSU since 1994; athletics’ contract had been with Coca-Cola.
All university divisions and athletics will share the money that WSU receives during the remaining nine years of the contract. Athletics will receive about $50,000 annually.
Pepsi is the leading provider of beverages at Kansas regents universities. Four of the six universities have exclusive agreements to sell Pepsi-Cola products.
