Coca-Cola's contribution to the UK economy

When you next see Coca-Colain your local supermarket, spare a thought for what lies behind those bottles lining the retailer’s shelves.

For starters, you may not realise that the world’s biggest grocery brand is actually made here in Great Britain, where Coca-Cola Enterprisesruns six factories and employs 4,000 people.

And you may not appreciate that at a time when policy makers and politicians are debating how best to encourage businesses to increase their levels of investment, my company is spending £1m a week this year to boost our productivity and efficiency. This brings to more than £200m the amount we have invested in Great Britain in the past three years.

We are also contributing to the overall economy. Research we have commissioned from eminent economist Professor Ethan Kapstein reveals that every pound of value created by Coca-Colasupports an additional £8 elsewhere in the British economy – the equivalent of nearly £2.4 billion annually. The research also shows that our business supports a further 34,500 high-quality, skilled British jobs across the economy from packaging and ingredient suppliers to transport providers to hospitality and retail workers.

We are proud to be a truly local business. Our latest funding pledge shows our desire to invest significantly in the most innovative and efficient technologies available. And Professor Kapstein’s research tells us that we have a world class manufacturing business that is having a positive impact on the wider economy.
Worth thinking about next time you pick up one of our products in your local store.