Coca‑Cola System Invests € 22 Million in New Romanian Cappy Pulpy Bottling Line

PLOIESTI, ROMANIA – Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The Coca‑Cola Company, along with Dimitris Lois, Chief Executive Officer of Coca‑Cola HBC AG and Romania Prime Minister Victor Ponta today inaugurated a new € 22 million bottling line in Ploiesti, Romania that expands the availability of Coca‑Cola’s popular Cappy Pulpy Orange juice drink across Eastern and Central Europe.

“This new Cappy Pulpy bottling line is yet another example of the Coca‑Cola system’s commitment to exciting innovation that meets consumers’ needs,” Muhtar Kent said. “Continuous innovation has been at the heart of our system’s journey from the very beginning when Coca‑Cola was created as a delicious and refreshing beverage in 1886. Since that time, we have continued to invest to stay in step with changing and diverse local tastes around the world.”

Cappy Pulpy is a juice drink with a high quantity of fruit juice and fruit pulp chunks that requires a state-of-the-art production line to transport the liquid and fruit pulp parts of the drink separately. The juice and pulp meet in the end where they are mixed at a rate of 36,000 bottles per hour. This technology, as well as the special recipe, gives Cappy Pulpy Orange an intensely refreshing taste by preserving the qualities of the fruit pulp.

Kent also thanked system bottling partner Coca‑Cola HBC and the Romanian government for their confidence in growth in the region.

“There have been growth challenges here in recent years, as we have seen in many nations. But at Coca‑Cola, we believe in investing in difficult times, building for the long-term and contributing positively to growth, economic vibrancy and prosperity,” Kent continued.

The Coca‑Cola system first invested in Romania in 1991 and today employs more 1,800 people across the country with approximately nine indirect jobs created for every Coca‑Cola job. Coca‑Cola HBC Romania bottles Coca‑Cola products in three Romanian plants and distributes them to more than 64,000 customers through a network of 20 warehouses and distribution centers.

“Our bottling plant in Ploiesti, the largest in South-Eastern Europe, is, for Coca‑Cola HBC, a real center of investment and technical innovations. Four years ago, we inaugurated here two major innovations – High-Bay, the automated mega-warehouse, and the Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP) – the result of a total investment of € 45 million. This year we bring again, to Romania, a major investment of over € 22 million. Thus, we are happy to be able to reconfirm, through the size and constancy of the investments made in Romania, the position of The Coca‑Cola system as one of the most important investors in the Romanian economy.” said Dimitris Lois, CEO, Coca‑Cola HBC AG.

Since its launch, Cappy Pulpy has enjoyed success and appreciation from consumers and customers, confirming the Romanians’ interest in innovative products. Cappy Pulpy has been strongly supported by an integrated marketing campaign, which includes TV commercials, street ads, online activations and in-store promotions. It is available throughout Romania and six countries across Central and Eastern Europe in two flavors – orange and grapefruit.

About The Coca‑Cola Company

The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca‑Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca‑Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.

About Coca‑Cola HBC

Coca‑Cola HBC is the second-largest bottler of products of The Coca‑Cola Company in terms of volume with sales of more than 2 billion unit cases. It has a broad geographic footprint with operations in 28 countries serving a population of approximately 581 million people. Coca‑Cola HBC offers a diverse range of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic beverages in the sparkling, juice, water, sport, energy, tea and coffee categories. Coca‑Cola HBC is committed to promoting sustainable development in order to create value for its business and for society. This includes providing products that meet the beverage needs of consumers, fostering an open and inclusive work environment, conducting its business in ways that protect and preserve the environment and contribute to the socio-economic development of the local communities.

Coca‑Cola HBC has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: CCH) and its shares are listed on the Athens Exchange (ATHEX: EEE). Coca‑Cola HBC’s American depositary shares (ADSs) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CCH). Coca‑Cola HBC is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indexes. For more information, please visit http://www.coca-colahellenic.com/.