Coke Consolidated Opens 12M Louisville Distribution And Equipment Refurbishing Center

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated made its formal debut as Louisville's new Coca-Cola bottler with the grand opening of its new $12 million sales and distribution center here. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer joined the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new 305,000-sq.ft. facility.

Charlotte NC-based Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, the nation's largest independent Coke bottler, formally became the Coke bottler for the Louisville franchise at the end of February. On the 25-acre site in southwest Louisville, the company has renovated a once-vacant warehouse, created office space and added 100,000 square feet of new construction for a make ready center with an investment of more than $12 million.

The new facility will handle sales and distribution of Coca-Cola products in a 21-county area stretching from Owen County to Hardin County in Kentucky and Jefferson County to Harrison County in Indiana. The company has 350 employees working in the Louisville franchise territory.

In addition, a new "make ready center," which will handle deployment and refurbishing of vending and other equipment, is still under construction and will open later this spring.

Louisville traces its Coca-Cola history back to 1901 when the city became the third franchise to bottle and sell the brand.

Coke Consolidated signed a definitive agreement for its acquisition of the Louisville franchise territory from Coca-Co. Co. in December. Additionally, the bottler acquired the franchise in Evansville, IN. The company has signed agreements to purchase additional Kentucky franchises, including Lexington, Pikeville and Paducah, and hopes to conclude those transactions later in 2015.

Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Coca-Cola Consolidated has franchise territories in 11 states.