Coco-Cola puts fizz into town
Soft drinks giants name Uxbridge as largest manufacturer headquarters
BUSINESS is booming in Uxbridge as the town has now become the home to the world’s largest CocaCola manufacturer headquarters.
The creation of a brand new company within the global Coca-Cola system, announced this week, will bring in the next phase of Uxbridge’s long-running relationship with the soft drink giant.
Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) will begin trading as the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottler by net sales, merging the previously named Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc (CCE) and bottling operations based in Spain, Portugal and Germany.
The offices in Uxbridge town centre will be elevated from the GB and European base for CCE to the new company’s global HQ – responsible for some 25,000 employees across Europe, who help to make, distribute and sell products to 300 million people in a total of 13 international markets.
A Coca-Cola spokesman said Uxbridge was the clear choice for the new company’s home, with its history as a base for bottling operations, and with Great Britain presenting one of the most developed markets for Coca-Cola’s portfolio of soft drinks in Europe. Originally located in Charter Place, CCE moved the short distance across the high street to its current location, in Bakers Road, in March 2013.
John F Brock, chief executive officer of CocaCola European Partners, said: “We are proud of our history and ongoing role in the community of Uxbridge.
“We are a committed part of the local fabric here, both from a business and social perspective, and we look forward to the next chapter as Coca-Cola European Partners.
“Across Europe, CCEP’s focus will be to continue to make a broader contribution to society, building on our strong local heritage.”