Company’s growth in Columbus fueled by a tradition of community service and engagement
Columbus, GA – Refresco, the world’s largest independent bottler of beverages, announces that since acquiring its Columbus facility in 2019 from Cott Beverages, the company has been dedicated to not only keeping jobs in the local community, but also to growing the plant’s innovative facilities into a larger, industry-leading hub for beverage development and quality assurance for customers around the world.
In only one year, Refresco has invested significantly in the Columbus plant, continuing to employ the site’s 120 employees and planning continued investments that will expand the workforce upwards of 50% over the next two years. Refresco has invested in the facility’s sensory testing and shelf stability laboratories in particular. Those facilities are critical to performing quality control functions.
“The success we’ve experienced over the last several years as we’ve grown to be the world’s largest independent beverage bottler has been incredible. We’re dedicated to using that momentum to now only grow our offerings for customers, but also to grow the local communities where our facilities are located,” Sam Khoury, VP Regulatory QA and Tech at Refresco, said. “Columbus is an excellent example of that.”
The company’s community-minded growth strategy is evident in its outreach and hiring efforts. Refresco partners with Columbus State University, providing a scholarship to one chemistry student and internships to a number of student chemists every year. These scholarship recipients and interns have often gone on to be hired by the company after graduation.
Additionally, employees from Refresco aid in workforce preparation for technical students at the university, helping to ensure that students are well-positioned to find jobs at Refresco, elsewhere in the Columbus community, or beyond after graduation. Providing such assistance to the local community is not unusual for the Columbus plant, which also regularly supports local schools and community members in the greatest need.
All of this growth and outreach is consistent with Refresco’s commitment to sustainable growth and, within that, focuses on the Planet, Products, and People involved in their business. From community outreach and worker safety initiatives to sustainable sourcing and minimizing the energy, water, and waste involved in producing their products, Refresco is dedicated to sustainable economic growth in the community.
For more information, visit https://www.refresco.com/en.
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About Refresco
Refresco is the world’s largest independent bottler of beverages for retailers and A-brands with production in Europe and North America. The company has full -ear volumes and revenue of circa 11 billion liters and circa €3.9 billion, respectively. Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from 100% fruit juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton, PET, Aseptic PET, cans, and glass. Focused on innovation, Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its products and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand, environmental responsibilities, and market demand. Refresco is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and has more than 10,000 employees. www.refresco.com.
Contact:
Antonella Sacconi
Refresco North America
813-313-1796
antonella.sacconi@refresco.com
