$18 million Coca-Cola facility breaks ground in Auburn

Auburn will be home to a new Coca-Cola facility in 2025. The company held a ceremony Wednesday to officially break ground on the facility which will be built across 15 acres off West Veterans Boulevard south of the Auburn University campus.

The $18 million facility will include:

• Sales center
• Warehouse
• Office space

“Alabama is our home. Alabama is where this story started and it’s very important to us that we invest in our home state. This Auburn facility is just a continuation of our investment in the state of Alabama.”

~ Cassandra Mickens, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at Coca-Cola United

The center is expected to be home to around 75 employees, most of them are expected to be in sales and in the warehouse with some administrative jobs. It will serve as a hub to distribute products throughout Chambers, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Macon, Randolph, Russell and Tallapoosa counties in Alabama.

Why Auburn?

Auburn was chosen after the company’s facility in West Point, Ga. was damaged by storms last year. West Point-based employees transferred to Auburn when a temporary facility was created.

Coca-Cola UNITED said it was already assessing long-term needs before the storm hit. After the temporary facility was created, Auburn became the frontrunner as a location to build a larger facility to serve the company’s future goals.

“Our local relationships are very important to us and are essential to how we run our business day-to-day. We look forward to continuing our strong partnerships with the city of Auburn and surrounding communities in the years ahead.”

~ Allen Buffington, Auburn Coca-Cola Sales Center Manager

The company acquired the Auburn-Opelika territory in 2014.

What the locals are saying

Mickens said Coca-Cola has received only positive response from the Auburn community. She said this new facility will only enhance the company’s relationship with east Alabama and the college campus.

Several city officials were also on hand during Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony.

“I am excited to welcome such a renowned and established brand to Auburn. We are grateful for the investment Coca-Cola UNITED is making in our community and look forward to a strong partnership moving forward.”

~ Auburn Mayor Ron Anders

Are you excited to see Coca-Cola making an investment in the city of Auburn? Let us know what you think – @TheBamaBuzz!