The bottle caps were popping Thursday afternoon in celebration of Coke-Canada’s fifth birthday.
Employees of the Barrie Distribution Centre, located on Bayview Drive in the city’s south end, gathered with company officials to celebrate the milestone.
Although the Barrie facility has been around for many years, Thursday marked the fifth anniversary of the company becoming a family-owned, independent company.
Coke Canada Bottling was formed in 2018 when the Tanenbaum and Bridgeman families became owners of the Canadian Coca-Cola bottling and distribution franchise.
“We have about 288 employees based all over northern Ontario and our whole idea is to be … Barrie’s local bottler. With that comes connecting with the community. We are very well-versed with Big Brothers/Big Sisters,” said Kate Luczynski, general manager for Greater Northern Ontario, noting the company donated $10,000 to the organization during Thursday’s event.
Locally, the company also works closely with Busby Centre in downtown Barrie and recently conducted a large back-to-school drive, she added.
“We want to make sure that the communities in which we operate are better because we are in it. Connecting with the community is everything. They are our customers and we want to be a part of that,” she said.
Matt Nelle is the Barrie district sales manager, and has worked for the company for the last 22 years. Since starting there more than two decades, Nelle said he has seen the company grow and change, and become more “diverse.”
“We have 288 employees that make up Greater Northern Ontario and … now that we are a local bottler, after five years, we are a lot more focused on getting out into the community and making a difference,” he said.
During the afternoon event, company officials celebrated its employees, including acknowledging several longtime employees, something Nelle said is integral to the company’s success.
“You spend most of your life working, and what makes Coke Canada so special is the people and the relationships you make — and wanting to come to work every day. You’re working for an iconic brand. Even if you don’t know the language, everybody knows Coca-Cola and I think that’s really special," he said.
Coke Canada operates in more than 50 locations across the country, added chief executive officer Todd Parsons, who told BarrieToday it’s their goal to be the hometown local bottler known for its community support in each one.
“We think about earning our social license to operate and being a member of the community. We are encouraging our employees every step of the way to make us a big part of the community and to show the community that Coca-Cola Canada is here — and we belong with the community," he said.
As for what keeps their products among the top of the pack in the beverage industry, Parsons was quick to answer.
“Coca-Cola is a global brand, and has been around so long that it creates a feeling of comfort and necessity with consumers," he said. "It resonates around the world and sends a message of trust, community and makes a promise of a great tasting product.
"When you think about why Coca-Cola is number one and continues to be number one around the world, they always espouse those values around the brand. For us, we have the unique honour of representing the world’s greatest beverage brand, and every day you get to go to work and be proud about that.”
