Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED Announces Closing of Transaction with The Coca-Cola Company Expanding Louisiana and Mississippi Territories

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, November 2, 2015 – Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc. (“Coca-Cola UNITED”) headquartered in Birmingham, AL, announced today, it closed the transaction with The Coca-Cola Company expanding Coca-Cola UNITED’s West Region territory into Alexandria, Monroe, and Shreveport, Louisiana; and Natchez, Mississippi. Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED began operating the new territories acquired in the transaction effective October 31, 2015. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Coca-Cola UNITED’s success is dependent on great brands and great people. We have a locally focused operating model which concentrates on excellent customer service and strong community engagement,” said Claude Nielsen, Chairman and CEO, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED. “After visiting all newly acquired territories and meeting all of our new employees, I see significant opportunity and am optimistic our values and operating strategy will be well received.”

“It’s with great enthusiasm that we welcome the Louisiana and Mississippi Coca-Cola territories into the West Region of our Coca-Cola UNITED family,” said Paul Favaron, Vice President, West Region, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc. “As I have become familiar with our new UNITED family members, I am impressed with their capabilities and dedication to their local customers and communities.  To support their work and our locally focused business model, we will be adding 78 new local associates collectively, in Alexandria, Monroe, Shreveport, and Natchez.  We are very optimistic about the future of Coca-Cola UNITED in the West Region.”

Consistent with previous transactions, Coca-Cola UNITED and The Coca-Cola Company will work collaboratively to benefit from more rational and contiguous operating territories; an improved, more integrated information technology platform across bottlers; and a new beverage agreement that supports the Coca-Cola system’s evolving U.S. operating model.

About Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc.:

Founded in 1902 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc. is the third largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the United States and the second largest privately held Coca-Cola bottler employing more than 4,800 employees. Coca-Cola UNITED currently refreshes customers, consumers and communities in 33 territories across 7 southeastern states with sparkling and still brands for every occasion.  Engaged principally in the production, marketing and distribution of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani water, POWERADE, vitaminwater and many more under exclusive franchise agreements with The Coca-Cola Company and other soft drink manufacturers.

With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, Coca-Cola UNITED is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit us at www.cocacolaunited.com.