Coca-Cola UNITED has received the “2018 Highest Execution Index” award in The Coca-Cola Company’s 2018 Market Street Challenge competition.

“It’s a tremendous honor for UNITED to win the “Highest Execution Bottler” award in The Market Street Challenge competition as it reflects the outstanding work our associates do — day in and day out — to serve our customers and our communities,” said John Sherman, president & CEO, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED.   “To have been a finalist in every year that the competition has existed is affirmation that we are living out our commitment to excellence, and we all appreciate Beeland Nielsen’s leadership in each of these three years.”

The Market Street Challenge recognizes executional excellence across the U.S. Coca-Cola bottling system.  Five execution standards were measured:  portfolio availability, outlet growth, expanded retail space, cold drink equipment and in-store activation.  All bottlers across the U.S. participate, with nine bottlers chosen as finalists, competing for individual awards and, ultimately, to be chosen as the overall Market Street Challenge winner.

The sole bottler to be a finalist in all three years of competition

Coca-Cola UNITED is the only bottler to be in the final group of contenders all three years of the competition.   In 2016, the inaugural year, UNITED won the overall top prize and was named as the The Market Street Challenge Winner.

“The comradery and best practice sharing amongst the highest executing bottlers in our system is something that I don’t think can be replicated in other franchise partnerships.  There is so much pride and excitement during the bottler presentations, it gives you a lot of optimism about our system and our brands,” said Beeland Nielsen, Senior Director, Commercial Leadership, who represented Coca-Cola UNITED in the competition.  “Each bottler has a compelling and unique story to tell, and the opportunity to tell the UNITED story is always an honor for me.”

The Market Street Challenge pays tribute to the original Coca‑Cola bottling operation, which opened in 1899 on Market Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Chattanooga, coincidentally, has been part of Coca-Cola UNITED’s footprint since 1924, a significant source of pride for our company.

Congratulations to our entire Coca-Cola UNITED team!!