US-based carbonated soft drink producer Coca-Cola Company has restructured its North American bottling operations.
As part of the development, the company has expanded its territories to include three bottlers in Arkansas and Missouri.
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The company has also added a new independent bottler, Manna, to its bottling operations.
Manna founder Ulysses Junior Bridgeman signed a letter of intent to acquire territory from the company in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska.
The new bottling company will also acquire a production facility in Lenex.
Upon closing the deal, Manna will work alongside Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution and Coca-Cola Beverages Florida.
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By GlobalDataThe move is part of the company’s strategy to refranchise all of its bottling territories by the end of 2017.
The company claims to have reached agreements to meet 50% of the target.
Last year, Corinth Coca-Cola expanded into the west Tennessee cities of Jackson and Paris.
The company formed a new National Product Supply System (NPSS) in an effort to streamline its production in the US.
Coca-Cola Refreshments (CCR) has linked its independent producing bottlers, Coca-Cola Bottling Co Consolidated, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United and Swire Coca-Cola USA (Swire) under the NPSS.
