Corinth Coca-Cola expands into west Tennessee

Published 2:30 pm Friday, May 8, 2015

CORINTH, Miss. (AP) — Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works Inc. has expanded its distribution territory farther into west Tennessee, officially entering the Jackson and Paris markets.

The company already served Lexington, Tennessee.

Corinth Coca-Cola’s expanded territory rights were first announced in April 2013.

In a three-way deal, Corinth obtained distribution rights and related assets from Coca-Cola Refreshments USA Inc., which first received those distribution rights from Charlotte, North Carolina-based Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated.

The agreement was set in motion by The Coca-Cola Company and five of its U.S. bottlers, including the three involved in this deal. The new beverage partnership gave the bottlers more territory in hopes of improving the efficiency of Coca-Cola’s heralded, though low-profit, distribution network.

Terms were reached in October of last year, and the deal was finalized Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“By expanding our sales and distribution capability in west Tennessee, we are positioning our company to continue to be successful for another 100 years,” H. L. “Sandy” Williams, chairman of Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works, told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (http://bit.ly/1EkdffF ).

Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works Inc., was founded by Avon Kenneth Weaver and C.C. Clark in 1907 in Corinth. In addition to its headquarters in Corinth and its Tennessee operations, the company also has a location in Tupelo.