Coca-Cola Bottling Company United has completed two transactions with the Coca-Cola Company to expand its territory to include metro Atlanta and seven additional territories in Georgia, US.

In addition, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United has acquired two production facilities.

This move is part of an announcement made in December 2015, when Coca-Cola Bottling Company United signed a letter of intent (LoI) with the Coca-Cola Company to acquire territories in Athens, Dublin, Gainesville, Jasper, Lawrenceville, Macon, Rome, and metropolitan Atlanta. The LoI also included an acquisition of production facilities in College Park and Marietta in Georgia.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United's president and chief executive officer (CEO) John Sherman said: "Coca-Cola United continues its amazing transformation with the addition of Atlanta and surrounding communities throughout north and central Georgia.

"We are increasing the overall size of our company by some 40% and adding more than 2,000 associates to the United family."

“The magnitude of this transaction is significant, in that we are increasing the overall size of our company by some 40% and adding more than 2,000 associates to the United family.”

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United intends to invest nearly $25m on new equipment, facilities, and its delivery fleet in Atlanta to improve levels of service to its customers. The company also plans to invest $100m in the city over the next few years.

Coca-Cola's North America president Alexander Douglas said: "Coca-Cola United has been a valued partner of The Coca-Cola Company for more than a century.

"Coca-Cola United has a strong heritage of serving its customers and consumers, and we are happy to have United become our new partner in Atlanta, Coke's hometown."

Image: Coca-Cola store in Orlando, US. Photo: courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company.