Coca-Cola to invest $1.1bn in France
The investment has been announced as part of the Choose France Summit. Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO James Quincey and French President Emmanuel Macron will meet in September to discuss the investment plan, with Quincey stating the investment shows the company’s continued commitment to France, the French economy and sustainable French communities.
Half of the investment will dedicated to improving production facilities while the other half is earmarked for distribution and brand development. The expansion of Fuze Tea and Tropico – both new brands for Coca-Cola in the country – will be a priority.
The Coca-Cola Company has been present in France for 100 years, with Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) as its primary bottling partner in the country. It employs 2,800 in France.
Coca-Cola will also support the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as an extension of the partnership between Coca-Cola and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) announced in July 2019.
Boost for Fuze Tea and Tropico
CCEP has invested €350m since 2013, and continues to invest to “adapt its manufacturing network to changes in consumer preferences and to accelerate its transition to a circular economy, including packaging transformation.”
A bottling line for glass was installed in the Socx, Dunkirk, plant in 2019; which will be followed with an aseptic bottling line mid-2020 to enable CCEP to meet increasing consumer demand for Fuze Tea (which launched in France in 2018) and Tropico (the juice drink company acquired by Coca-Cola in September).
Additional investments across all five CCEP plants in France will enable the introduction of a higher quantity of recycled material in bottles and cans and the replacement of plastic by cardboard for secondary packaging.
There is also a provision for CCEP to invest in cooling equipment for its customers and accelerate digitalization.
The Coca-Cola Company will also use the investment to accelerate its entry into new categories. These investments will be a combination of media, brand experiences or strategic partnerships, such as the support of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
