Coca-Cola United opens $65 million sales and distribution center

The Georgia distribution center includes the latest technology used in the beverage industry

The Vertique case picking warehouse system, coupled with a palletizer system, provides an efficient flow of operation, with minimal touches by associates.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Inc., headquartered in Birmingham, celebrated the opening of a distribution and sales center in Tifton, Georgia, on Feb. 25.

Coca-Cola United invested $65 million in the Tifton Coca-Cola Bottling Co., a 343,000-square-foot facility that includes a warehouse, fleet shop, administrative offices and meeting space plus the latest in technology and equipment used in the beverage industry.

“Our investment in associates is paramount, but so is our investment in the communities we serve every day. In the past five years, we have invested more than $200 million in the state of Georgia,” said John Sherman, Coca-Cola United president and CEO.

Announced in 2019, the Tifton facility serves more than 3,100 customers throughout south Georgia and the Florida panhandle. The facility has approximately 275 employees, with a payroll of approximately $13 million. Construction was started in early 2020 and completed mid-year 2021.

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The facility uses the Vertique case picking warehouse system, manufactured by Systems Logistics. Vertique transforms the case picking process into an organized, more ergonomic and efficient sequential operation, putting less physical stress on associates. A new palletizer system provides a more efficient flow of operation, minimizing the number of touches to the product before reaching customer shelves.

“This facility is one of the most technologically advanced distribution facilities in the North American beverage industry,” said Crawford Jones, Coca-Cola United East Region vice president.

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