On March 13, Love Bottling Company, based in Muskogee, Oklahoma, broke ground on a 32,000-square-foot warehouse expansion at its S. 24th Street headquarters.
Love Bottling has distributed Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper beverages in Eastern Oklahoma since 1919, and this new expansion will provide additional product storage space and fourteen additional loading docks for a total of seventeen. Warehouse expansion construction is slated for completion by Spring 2025.
“This expansion will allow us to craft each customer’s individual order with even greater accuracy and efficiency,” says Joey Conaway, Vice President of Operations. “The additional docks will also allow us to more efficiently load our route trucks for delivery.”
“It’s about more than just streamlining our operations, however,” says James Gulley, President and CEO of Love Bottling Company. “Increased efficiencies will have a positive impact on profits that fund the William Barry Love Foundation.”
“The Love Bottling Company’s expansion is a significant step forward for the economic growth of our region,” says Kimbra Scott, Executive Director of Port Muskogee. “Their commitment to efficiency and community support aligns perfectly with our vision for sustainable development.”
The newly established William Barry Love (WBL) Foundation allocates a share of Love Bottling’s profits to benefit children and families in the Muskogee area. To date, the Foundation has awarded $436,000 in grants to Muskogee Public Schools, Hilldale Public Schools, CASA, Kid’s Space, and The Shriner’s transportation fund.
Love Bottling Company is one of only sixty independent Coca-Cola distributors in the United States and employs 140 residents of Muskogee and surrounding communities.
The groundbreaking for the new 32,000-square-foot Love Bottling Company warehouse expansion took place on March 13, 2024, at its S. 24th Street headquarters.
