Coca-Cola of Northern New
England to Expand in the Northeast, Including Cities of Boston, Providence,
R.I., Hartford, Conn., and Albany, N.Y.
Bottlers in Mississippi
and Colorado to Expand Their Operations; Bottler in Florida to Acquire
Four Production Facilities; Bottler in Chicago to Acquire Six Production
Facilities
Six Coca-Cola Bottlers
Have Formed Information Technology Services Company CONA Services LLC
ATLANTA – April 20, 2016 – The Coca-Cola Company
today announced continued progress in refranchising its North American bottling
operations, with expanded territories for three bottlers and the addition of a
new, independent bottler.
The Coca-Cola system’s
newest bottler is led by Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, founder of a Louisville,
Ky., company named Manna Inc. Bridgeman is a former NBA player who first
established his business interests by purchasing three Wendy’s franchises while
he was still playing basketball.
Bridgeman retired from
the NBA in 1987 and grew his portfolio of businesses to become one of the
largest restaurant franchise operators in the country. Bridgeman is in the
process of divesting his restaurant holdings, which include Wendy’s and Chili’s
franchises, to focus on his future business in the Coca-Cola system.
Bridgeman has signed a
letter of intent to acquire territory from The Coca-ColaCompany
in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska, including the cities of St. Louis
and Kansas City. Bridgeman will also acquire a production facility in Lenexa,
Kan. Justin Bridgeman, one of Junior Bridgeman’s sons, will lead the company
with his father.
The new bottling company
will become just the third new, independent Coca-Colabottler
in recent decades. The others are Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution LLC and Coca-Cola Beverages Florida LLC.
Existing Bottlers to
Expand
Coca-Cola of Northern New
England, which has been part of the Coca-Cola system since 1977, has signed a letter of intent to take on
additional territory from
The Coca-Cola Company.
Bedford, N.H.-based CCNNE
expects to acquire territory throughout New England. The territory covers
several major cities, including Boston, Providence, R.I., and Hartford, Conn.
CCNNE will acquire production facilities in Needham Heights, Mass., and
Hartford.
Coca-Cola also announced
four other new letters of intent:
- Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works,
Inc., based in Corinth, Miss., will acquire additional territory in
Missouri and Arkansas.
- Coca-Cola
of Durango-Farmington, based in Durango, Colo., plans to acquire territory
in Gallup, N.M.
- Coca-Cola
Beverages Florida, based in Tampa, Fla., will acquire production
facilities in the Florida cities of Hollywood, Jacksonville, Orlando and
Tampa.
- Great
Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution
LLC, based in Rosemont, Ill., will acquire production facilities in Alsip,
Ill., Niles, Ill., Detroit, Grand Rapids, Mich., Eagan, Minn., and
Milwaukee.
These letters of intent
are part of Coca-Cola North America’s ongoing and accelerated implementation of a 21st Century Beverage Partnership Model, a broad initiative aimed at
building on system capabilities to sustain success. The Company previously
announced that it will refranchise all North American territories by the end of
2017.
“We continue to make
great progress in refranchising, and these agreements show that our partners
are strongly interested in expanding,” said J. Alexander “Sandy” Douglas Jr.,
President, Coca-Cola North America. “These bottlers are investing in the future of
the Coca-Cola system. We are also pleased to welcome a new bottler to the Coca-Cola family.”
