KUNMING, China, June 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coca-Cola
Company and Swire Group jointly celebrated the opening of a new
plant in Yunnan today. The
facility, which is the largest Coca-Cola production plant south of
the Yangtze River in China, is a
world-class operation that received a gold certification of
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The
investment is another example of the Coca-Cola system's commitment
to investing and growing in China.
The inauguration of the new plant included a visit from
James Quincey, president and CEO of
The Coca-Cola Company; and Merlin
Swire, CEO of John Swire
& Sons Limited, along with representatives from local
government, The Coca-Cola Company and Swire Beverages.
"Yunnan is promoting three
provincial propositions: Green Energy, Green Food, and Healthy
Living Place," said Wang Qingmei, Deputy Director of the Provincial
Merchant Bureau. "This new plant coincides with our 'Green Food'
proposition and contributes to the industry development in
Yunnan."
"Coca-Cola has been part of the tremendous changes in
China since the opening of the
market in 1979," Quincey said. "We started our business in
China with a single brand, and
we've gone on to build a portfolio of more than 20 brands in the
market today. The new Yunnan plant
marks a milestone in celebrating the upcoming 40th anniversary of
Coca-Cola's return to China.
Together with our bottling partners, we offer a growing portfolio
to Chinese consumers, in addition to playing an important role in
the communities where we operate."
To meet the needs of the fast-growing market, Swire Coca-Cola
Beverages Yunnan Limited decided to build a much larger production
facility to replace the previous one. "Swire has significantly
increased investment in our global Coca-Cola bottling business in
recent years, and this new bottling plant is a good example of
that. The increased capacity will help us satisfy millions of
consumers and continue to drive sustainable growth throughout
Yunnan," said Merlin Swire.
The design and construction of the new Yunnan plant followed LEED standards:
- Photovoltaic power generators are located on the roof of the
main building. The power generated will be integrated into the
State Grid at an estimated annual capacity of 5 million kWh. To
reduce summer heat and save energy, the plant uses natural
lighting, intelligent lighting systems, two-way heat-protective
glass and highly reflective materials that cover 75% of the
roof.
- The plant includes a 600-cubic-meter rainwater collection
facility for irrigation and street cleaning, which helps conserve
water. The water treatment system can handle 3,120 cubic meters of
water each day to meet national discharge standards. Some treated
water is reused for irrigation and restrooms in the plant.
Yunnan Swire Coca-Cola Beverages Company Ltd. is dedicated to
adopting "green" concepts in local communities. Together with the
China Women's Development Foundation, the Ministry of Commerce's
Economic and Technical Exchange Center and the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP), Coca-Cola will launch a regional,
sustainable development program in Honghe Hani
and Yi Autonomous Prefecture. The program will cover
water replenishment, natural resource protection and women's
empowerment to build a more sustainable, eco-economy on top of
green farming and tourism initiatives.
The Yunnan location has been
involved in local community development since 1995. Eleven Project
Hope Schools were built, and 10,000 women have been empowered by
retail and internet skill trainings in the province. Meanwhile, 144
clean water facilities were installed in 128 rural schools,
providing more than 37,000 students and teachers with clean
drinking water. Nine million bottles of water were sent to 24
disaster impacted areas, and 3,000 college volunteers were trained
for handling emergency situations.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company,
offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. In addition to
the company's Coca-Cola brands, our portfolio includes some of the
world's most valuable beverage brands, such as the AdeS soy-based
beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta,
Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and
coffees, Honest Tea, Innocent smoothies and juices, Minute Maid
juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite,
vitaminwater and ZICO coconut water. We're constantly transforming
our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing
innovative new products to the market. We're also working to reduce
our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting
recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000
people, bringing economic opportunity to local communities
worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey at
www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram,
Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Coca-Cola China
Coca-Cola is one of the most well-known international brands in
China. We have more than 20 brands
and offer over 60 beverage choices to Chinese consumers. From
returning to China in 1979 until
2017, the Coca-Cola system has invested $13
billion and established a total of 45 plants in China. The Coca-Cola system today employs more
than 45,000 people in China, 99%
of whom are local hires. At the same time, Coca-Cola and its
bottling partners have been actively participating in educational
and philanthropic initiatives, supporting environmental protection
and contributing to the development of local communities. Coca-Cola
is also the only company that has sponsored the Special Olympics,
Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, EXPO, Universiade and Youth
Olympics in China. For more
information, please visit www.coca-cola.com.cn or follow our
corporate account "Coca-Cola China" on Weibo or WeChat.
About Swire Group
Swire is a highly diversified global group, with principal
business activities grouped into five categories: Property,
Aviation, Beverages & Food Chain, Marine Services and Trading
& Industrial. Many of its core businesses can be found within
the Asia Pacific region, where
traditionally Swire's operations have centred on Hong Kong and Mainland China. Within
Asia, Swire's activities come
under the Group's publicly quoted arm, Swire Pacific Limited. For more information, please visit
Swire's website at www.swire.com.
About Swire Beverages
Swire Beverages is a division of Swire Pacific Limited. The
division has the exclusive right to manufacture, market and
distribute products of The Coca-Cola Company in 12 provincial areas
on mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and 13 states in the Midwest of
the United States, serving over
700 million people. On Mainland China, the company owns 18
factories scattered in Henan,
Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hubei, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan and Shanghai. The close partnership with The
Coca-Cola Company began in 1965, with the acquisition by Swire of
the majority shareholding in the Hong
Kong bottling company. Since then, Swire Beverages has
become one of the largest bottling partners of The Coca-Cola
Company.
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SOURCE Coca-Cola