Coca-Cola United breaks ground on $85M expansion of Georgia facility

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United broke ground on an $85 million expansion of its Macon, Georgia, sales center. The project includes expanding the existing warehouse, installing a state-of-the-art warehousing system and optimizing distribution operations that will benefit associates, customers and communities in Macon-Bibb County and surrounding areas. The expansion is also expected to generate approximately 50 new jobs. Construction is slated to begin during the first quarter of 2023.

Jack Sherman, director of Coca-Cola United’s Savannah River Division that includes Macon Coca-Cola and eight other sales centers in Georgia, said the expansion is part of Coca-Cola United’s strategic plan of investing in facilities across its six-state footprint.

“For 121 years, our business has been built on a strong foundation of family, service and community,” Sherman said in the announcement. “We’ve experienced tremendous growth over the past few years, and this expansion shows our optimism for this market and the state of Georgia for the future.”

Coca-Cola United will expand its Macon Coca-Cola warehouse located at 1780 Jennifer Drive by approximately 260,000 square feet, as well as install the leading-edge Vertique warehousing system that is among the most advanced in the beverage industry. When completed, the expansion is expected to create an enhanced and more efficient working environment for Macon Coca-Cola’s 228 associates.

The expansion is the latest chapter of Coca-Cola’s 121-year history in Macon, where bottling operations began in 1902. Macon Coca-Cola joined the Coca-Cola United family of local bottlers in 2017. The facility serves 18 counties and sells and distributes about 7.2 million cases of Coca-Cola products annually.

In remarks prior to the groundbreaking, Macon Coca-Cola Sales Center Manager Eddie Cummins thanked Macon-Bibb County officials for their support and continued partnership.

“We are proud to call Mayor [Lester] Miller, the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority and other local and state officials partners in our work to better serve our associates, customers and communities,” Cummins added. “This expansion will enable us to provide a higher level of service and is a tangible example of our commitment to Macon-Bibb and surrounding areas for years to come.”