MOBILE, Alabama — Coca-Cola Bottling Co. UNITED plans to invest $48 million in its Mobile campus to grow its business along the Gulf Coast with a project to expand its existing warehouse, optimize distribution operations and install a state-of-the-art warehousing system.
“With this larger and more innovative facility, we will create an enhanced working environment for our associates and provide a higher level of service for our customers and communities along the Gulf Coast for decades to come,” said Coca-Cola UNITED President and CEO John Sherman.
Coca-Cola UNITED will expand its existing warehouse by 120,000 square feet and install a Vertique case picking system that is leading edge in the beverage industry. The system turns the case picking process into a more organized and efficient operation and puts less stress on associates.
Once the project is complete, the company expects an increase in jobs at the Mobile facility, which will continue to serve as a hub to distribute products and services to customers and other Coca-Cola UNITED sales centers along the Gulf Coast.
“It’s always special to see a company with deep Alabama roots reinvest in its operations in the state, creating new jobs and strengthen long-standing ties in their communities,” Governor Kay Ivey said.
“I’m very happy that Coca-Cola Bottling UNITED is launching a growth project in Mobile and know that the company will continue to thrive in Sweet Home Alabama.”
GROWTH PLANS
Construction on the expansion is scheduled to begin mid-2021 and should be complete by the end of 2022.
The Mobile facility has more than 300 employees, produces more than 13 million cases annually and serves some 3,300 customers.
“This investment is another illustration of Coca-Cola UNITED’s long-term commitment to the Mobile community and the State of Alabama, said Keith Watson, Mobile Coca-Cola Sales Center Manager. “We appreciate the great support from our state and local officials,”
Officials in Mobile welcomed UNITED’s growth plans.
“We are excited about the significant investment Coca-Cola Bottling Co. UNITED is making in Mobile,” Mayor Sandy Stimpson said. “This expansion is a strong signal of their commitment to our local economy, and I look forward to seeing their continued success here in Mobile.”
The expansion is the latest chapter in a storied history between Coca-Cola UNITED and the city of Mobile. The territory, first owned by Coca-Cola UNITED founder Crawford Johnson Sr. of Birmingham, was purchased by brothers Walter and Will Bellingrath in 1903.
More than a century later, in 2017, Coca-Cola UNITED, based in Birmingham, again acquired the Mobile territory as part of a transformation that saw the company more than triple in size.
“Coca-Cola Bottling is a long-time member of our community and we are so happy they chose Mobile for this significant investment. We can’t wait to see what they do in the next 100 years,” said David Rodgers, vice president of economic development at the Mobile Area Chamber.
