Coca-Cola building new distribution center in Idaho Falls
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IDAHO FALLS – Construction on a Coca-Cola distribution facility south of Idaho Falls near the Anheuser-Busch plant is moving forward and is slated for completion next year.
Earlier this year, Swire Coca-Cola, USA — headquartered in Draper, Utah — announced plans to consolidate its operations in Pocatello and Idaho Falls and build a new 92,510-square-foot facility at 5741 South 15th West. Construction got underway in April. An exact date of completion has not been determined.
Carl Foster, senior communications director for Swire Coco-Cola, USA, tells EastIdahoNews.com the company is the regional bottler and distributor for Coca-Cola products across Idaho and much of the western United States. The distribution center being built in Idaho Falls is one of 14 in the region that will provide Coco-Cola products to retailers, convenience stores and restaurants.
“When you go to the store, the chiller at the gas station or the fountain machine at your favorite restaurant and buy a Coke or (related) products, it will be made, shipped and sold by your friends and neighbors at Swire Coca-Cola, USA,” Foster says.
In a follow-up email to EastIdahoNews.com, Ben Ferney, the company’s senior manager of external communications, said the amenities at the new building will include a warehouse, fleet shop, and CAM space for technicians who service coolers, fountain machines and other devices where Coke products are sold. It will also have improved office space.
“Sustainability is being incorporated into the site. This includes solar for renewable electricity and native and drought-tolerant landscaping,” Ferney writes.
Foster says the current distribution buildings in Pocatello and buildings, which have been in operation for many years, have reached the end of their operational life. That’s what prompted the construction of the new building.
Foster says there are many factors that go into choosing a location. He did not specify why the site on 15th West was selected, but the company told EastIdahoNews.com in March that it’s a more centralized location that’s expected to enhance distribution capacity, streamline operations and support continued growth in eastern Idaho.
“As the growth and demand for our product and the growth of our company has accelerated, we need to make sure we have a modern working environment for our people, and efficiently and effectively meet the demand for our customers. We’re better able to do that with a new facility,” says Foster.
Based on previous reporting, the age of the current distribution building on North Main Street in Pocatello is 115 years old. The exact age of the Idaho Falls plant on East Lincoln Road is not clear, but it was built in the latter half of the 20th century.
Swire Coca-Cola, USA manufactures and delivers “the world’s greatest beverage brands to 31 million consumers across the American West,” according to its website. It has locations in 13 states, including five distribution plants in Idaho and one manufacturing plant in Fruitland.
Foster says Swire Coca-Cola, USA was formed in 1978, but it’s part of a larger company, John Swire & Sons, which began in Liverpool, England more than a century ago.
Swire Coca-Cola, USA contributes $349 million to Idaho’s economy, according to Foster, and provides more than 800 jobs to local communities.
Foster says having a presence in eastern Idaho has been profitable for many years, and he’s excited to continue serving customers with the new distribution plant when it becomes operational in 2027.
“We’re very big on giving back to the community,” Foster says. “On Friday, some of our volunteers had a tree planting event at Ryder Park. We provide our employees with paid time off to volunteer and that’s just one example of how that’s coming to life locally in Idaho Falls.”
