Coca-Cola Explores New Customer Service and Distribution Systems

The Coca-Cola Company and several of its key U.S. bottlers will work together to develop and test new customer service and distribution systems to supplement their direct store delivery (DSD) system. Under the agreement, the company will join U.S. Coca-Cola Bottlers in testing various new route to market service systems to bring company products to customers who require special services. "Our bottling system is our heritage, and it will be the foundation for our future growth. The partnership with our bottlers is what makes the Coca-Cola System powerful and unique, and we will work diligently to ensure that we move forward and succeed together," says J.A.M. "Sandy" Douglas, president, Coca-Cola North America. "One of the historic strengths of our system has been its ability to change and adapt as our consumers, customers and competitors have changed. By working together on new customer service and distribution systems, we will ensure that our system's second century is as bright as ever." In conjunction with this agreement, the bottlers' participating in this initiative will dismiss without prejudice the current lawsuits pending in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, and Circuit Court of Jefferson County in Birmingham, AL. Representatives of the plaintiff bottlers have already agreed to the initiative and it is hoped that all U. S. Bottlers will participate.