Coca-Cola 'worth £2.4bn to UK economy'
Coca-Cola Enterprises has announced investment in new production facilities and plant improvements in Britain equivalent to £1m per week in 2014.
CCE’s investments this year include: a Combined Heat and Power system at its Wakefield factory; a new production line at Wakefield dedicated to making the iconic contour Coca-Cola bottle in larger PET packaging; and the completion of a new high-speed canning line at its Sidcup facility.
These follow a number of major investments over the past three years for
CCEincluding the newly opened £30m automated warehouse in Wakefield, saving around 500,000 road miles by HGV trucks per year.
The Wakefield facility, the largest soft drinks plant in Europe, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
New independent research into the economic impact of Coca-Cola in Britain has shown that every pound of value created by Coca-Cola supports an additional £8 elsewhere in the British economy, bringing nearly £2.4 billion annually to the British economy.
With some 4,000 people directly employed in GB, the findings also showed that Coca-Cola supports a further 34,500 high-quality, skilled British jobs across the economy, from suppliers and transport to hospitality and retail workers.
Simon Baldry, Managing Director of
Coca-Cola Enterprises, said: "We are proud to be a truly local business with 97% of our products made at our six factories across Great Britain.
"Our latest funding pledge shows once again our desire to invest significantly in the most innovative and efficient technologies available.
"It forms an important part of our long-term strategy to continue to grow our business sustainably and make a positive contribution to the British economy."
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