The Coca-Cola Company announced that its Al Mana Plant is officially open for business. The $36 million (132M Qatar Riyal) plant, which is Coca-Cola’s first bottling facility in Qatar, covers an area of more than 28,000 square meters and contains PET plastic bottle production lines that will produce a range of sparkling and still beverages.

During the inauguration ceremony, Irial Finan, Executive Vice President of The Coca-Cola Company and President of the Bottling Investments Group (BIG) was joined by senior representatives from Qatar’s business community to dedicate the facility.  Irial was joined by a delegation that included Ms. Dana Shell Smith, US Ambassador to Qatar; Mr. Saud O. Al-Mana, Vice Chairman of Al Mana Group; Mr. Tariq O. Al Almana, Group Finance Director of Al Mana Group; Murat Ozgel, General Manager for Coca-Cola Middle East and Mohammed Akeel, Managing Director for Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Bahrain and Qatar.

The plant represents Coca-Cola’s long-term commitment to Qatar and is the latest in a series of investments throughout the Middle East region.  The facility is expected to increase the Company’s production and ensure we meet the growing demands of the country and, potentially, the region.  Development of the state-of-the art facility began in 2014, and the plant will employ approximately 300 staff in the first phase including production and distribution.

In outlining The Coca-Cola Company’s commitment to Qatar, Finan said, “We selected Qatar because of its unique position in the region and it being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The country has a 2030 Vision, which aligns with our own mission to build local, consumer-driven, customer-focused, profitable and sustainable businesses. The creation of this plant allows us to proudly manufacture and distribute beverages in Qatar, invest in our people and provide tangible economic benefit to the country.”

“We are proud to be a part of Qatar and we will work to earn the trust of consumers, customers, business partners and all of our stakeholders in the country.”

The inauguration of the new plant comes as part of Coca-Cola’s commitment to being a global business with an intensive local focus. Coca-Cola’s presence in Qatar has to date included a number of partnerships across sectors including community and government, and initiatives such as Thirst Quenchers and Copa Coca-Cola.

 

Source : en.coca-colaarabia.com

Report Abuse