Anthony Cloud
Staff Writer
The Coca-Cola plant along Cumberland Avenue is expanding its business. Regional Sales Manager Bobby Abbott stated the company is looking at a 24,000 square foot addition. The addition will be used as a warehouse for items.
Abbott stated the company currently has 422 items in the warehouse. The plant is a four-million case bottling facility and the warehouse they currently have is not big enough for the continued growth, according to Abbott.
“As the people change, Coca-Cola and water has to change with them,” said Abbott. “We are hoping to continue growing and getting more items in.”
Abbott said the company is looking at a better way to do business and they need a place to put the additional items and new equipment. In the past five or six years, there have been as much as 972 items pass through the plant.
Abbott said the company sold a million plus cases of Cumberland Gap water last year, making shipments from Florida to Michigan along the way. The water takes up half of the current warehouse and continues to grow, according to Abbott.
The ground-work on the expansion project has already began. Workers were preparing the foundation Friday. Abbott stated he hopes construction will be done by June or July, weather permitting.
There were several positions added in preparation for the expansion, but the positions have already been filled.
The company had discussed an expansion about five or six years ago, but decided not to expand at that time because sales were steady. About four months ago, the decision was made to begin expanding the company.
Anthony Cloud is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. He can be contacted via email at acloud@heartlandpublications.com or by phone at 606-248-1010, ext. 208.
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