Coca-Cola UNITED is thrilled to announce that we have been named Sam’s Club U.S. Bottler of the Year and Walmart Bottler of the Year for the South Zone.

Earning these top awards speaks to our team’s keen ability to adjust on the fly and nimbly adapt to meet the new challenges of this past year-and-a-half. What our team continues to do, despite the hurdles of COVID-19, supply chain disruptions and natural disasters that directly impact our communities, is nothing short of extraordinary. Our partnership with Sam’s Club and Walmart has enabled both customers to prosper and grow during a difficult time.

Sam’s Club U.S. Bottler of the Year is selected based on year-to-date point of sale growth and efforts in designing, collaborating on and/or executing an initiative in support of a key Sam’s Club growth pillar. Coke UNITED is Sam’s Club’s third-largest bottler and Sam’s Club is Coke UNITED’s fifth-largest customer, and our success would not be possible if not for our dedicated team.

Walmart Bottler of the Year for the South Zone recognizes the No. 1 bottler of 18 in a 20-state territory. This award is again a credit to our team who serves nearly 500 Walmart stores daily, develops strong local relationships and executes at a high level in each store. Thank you for continuing to move our business forward with our largest customer.

Many thanks also go to Customer Management Director John Rutledge and Business Development Directors Brendan Moore, who manages our Sam’s Club relationship, and Robert Laws, who manages our Walmart relationship, for their outstanding leadership and for representing Coke UNITED in this year’s Sam’s Club and Walmart competitions. We also want to express our gratitude to all associates across our company who support our Walmart and Sam’s Club business every day!