Coca-Cola to invest $70M into new NE Calgary warehouse
Posted Jul 5, 2023 2:57 pm.
Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited is investing $70 million into a “state-of-the-art” 60,000-square-foot warehouse in northeast Calgary.
It will be built by the company’s distribution centre and manufacturing facility on 23 Street NE and will house 19,000 pallets of beverages, a news release reads.
At this time, the company says it relies on third-party warehouses.
Coke Canada expects a reduction of 200 tonnes of CO2 annually from the investment due to “decreases in movement of product in the local market.”
“Our mission is to deliver optimism and create a better future by bringing sustainable value for our customers, consumers and communities and to do that we’re committed to investing to grow our business in Calgary for generations to come,” said Todd Parsons, Coke Canada Bottling CEO.
“Our Calgary team has an important role in ensuring we meet and exceed the needs of our customers throughout Western Canada. We’re now bringing global best practices and self-sufficiency to our local operations.”
The company says the investment comes after a report from the Conference Board of Canada and Canadian Beverage Association, which shows consumer spending on non-alcoholic drinks went up between 2010 and 2019 to $11.9 billion, driven by population growth.
With the investment, all local storage will be within Calgary’s facilities, which will have an automated storage and retrieval system, and increased door dock capacity for the “Red Fleet.”
This also follows a strike at the northeast plant on March 15, 2021, when around 270 Teamsters Canada union Local 987 members walked off the job. An agreement was struck between Coca-Cola and the union two weeks later.
WATCH: Coca-Cola plant workers on strike in Calgary
There are 400 employees at the Calgary location, and it serves roughly 4,000 customers 24 hours per day, six days per week.
Coke Canada has invested $100 million into its Calgary operations since 2018.
