Coca-Cola Bottling Company United to invest $330M in new Alabama facility

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc. (UNITED) has announced a significant investment of $330 million in a new state-of-the-art facility in Birmingham’s Kingston community.

This development is expected to create up to 50 new jobs and retain over 750 positions in the city.

The new facility will be constructed on the former Stockham Valves and Fittings site on 40th Street North, approximately two miles from UNITED’s current location on East Lake Boulevard.

Coca-Cola UNITED President and CEO Mike Suco expressed enthusiasm about this long-anticipated project.

“Our story began more than 120 years ago in Birmingham, and with this investment, our story will continue for years to come,” said Suco.

The new complex will serve Jefferson County and 11 surrounding counties.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey praised the investment, highlighting Coca-Cola UNITED’s longstanding presence in Alabama.

“Coca-Cola UNITED’s landmark growth project will create new jobs in its home base in Birmingham while also solidifying the company’s foundation in the city for decades to come,” she Governor Ivey.

In an online interview, Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair echoed these sentiments, noting that the new facility would become a striking gateway to Birmingham.

“Coca–Cola UNITED’s impressive new facility will become an eye-catching gateway to Birmingham and transmit the powerful signal that the Magic City is a great place to do business,” Secretary McNair said. “Launching this project, in this particular location, perfectly exemplifies how this world-class company is giving back to its community.”

The new facility will feature a 150,000-square-foot multi-floor office complex and a 300,000-square-foot warehouse equipped with the advanced Vertique case picking system, which enhances the efficiency of order fulfillment. This technology has already been successfully implemented in other Coca-Cola UNITED locations, including Mobile.

Visible to traffic along Interstate 20/59, the facility will house the Birmingham Coca-Cola sales center and serve as the headquarters for Coca-Cola UNITED’s Corporate, Central Region, and North Alabama Division operations. It will also accommodate the company’s Classic Food and Vending arm, customer solutions center, and services department.

Coca-Cola UNITED has been a staple in Birmingham since 1902 when Crawford Johnson Sr. opened the first bottling operation with just one associate and a mule named Bird. The company, incorporated as Coca-Cola UNITED in 1974, has operated from its current East Lake Boulevard location since 1979. This new investment marks a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing commitment to the Birmingham community and its future growth.