Coca-Cola Bottling is expanding its West Memphis, Arkansas, production facility and nearly doubling its current workforce by transferring 60 jobs to it.
Image: Coca-Cola is investing $33m on the expansion of 200,000sq.ft facility in West Memphis, Arkansas. Photo: Courtesy of Arkansas Economic Development.
The maker, bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola products said that its Memphis transportation and logistics facility would remain in Memphis, with its nearly 300 current employees.
Coca-Cola is expected to invest $33m on the expansion of 200,000ft2 facility, which is driven by the need to grow the facility and the lack of industrial space at its current facility
Arkansas Economic Development Commission Executive Director Mike Preston said: “This expansion is welcome news for our partners in West Memphis and Crittenden County, the crossroads for the U.S. transportation industry. We look forward to working with Coca-Cola to finalize the details for more jobs and millions of dollars of investment.”
It is expected that the company’s current facility at West Memphis would reportedly close by late 2020.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said: “When an iconic American company like Coca-Cola continues to invest in Arkansas, we know we’re doing things right. Jobs for skilled workers that pay higher wages are important to the Delta, and we applaud Coca-Cola for making the right choice for workforce, community and location.”
Mayor Marco McClendon said: “Coca-Cola has been a valued business partner in this community for a number of years, and we are excited they have chosen to expand in West Memphis.”
West Memphis Economic Development Director Phillip Sorrell said, “We are pleased to have a recognized company like Coca-Cola make this investment in our city. It is quite meaningful when an existing business chooses to expand in your community, and we look forward to our continued partnership.”
In November 2018, Coca-Cola expanded its bottling capabilities by launching latest bottling technology in its Fiji facility at Laucala Beach Estate.
Coca-Cola has installed Germany-made Krones Blowfill technology, that brings latest equipment used in New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia to the company’s facility, making the new Fiji line capable of producing 21,000 bottles per hour.
The company said that it invested $6.5m for the construction of the line via local purchasing and contractors.