MISSOULA — Coca-Cola Bottling Co. High Country has acquired Glendive Coca-Cola Bottling Co. and will assume operations of Glendive Coca-Cola, the Missoula-based company announced this week.
The transaction expands Coca-Cola Bottling Co. High Country’s existing territories in Montana, with sales centers in Missoula, Great Falls, Billings, Havre, Kalispell, Miles City and now Glendive.
“We are excited about the opportunities this new market presents and we expect our local operating model to help us continue to refresh and hydrate consumers, help our customers be successful, and be involved in the communities we serve,” Trevor Messinger, president and CEO of Coca-Cola High Country, said in a statement.
For more than a century, The Coca-Cola Co. and its bottling partners have evolved to best meet the needs of customers and consumers. Coca-Cola High Country will continue to serve local customers and provide efficient execution across the Glendive market.
Glendive Coca-Cola Bottling Co. started in 1930 under Joseph Holling. In 1948, John Milne and Walter Pederson purchased the business.
Daryl Clingingsmith has been the general manager of the business since 1989.
“We have had the best employees throughout the years and are happy to say they will continue with Coca-Cola High Country,” said Clingingsmith.
Coca-Cola High County recently broke ground on a new 69,000 square foot facility in Missoula. The new facility nearly doubles the space offered by the old plant and includes easier access for delivery trucks. Interstate 90 sits within easy reach, and the location is zoned for light industrial uses.
“As the beverage business expands and changes and consumer tastes expand and change, we’re carrying a lot more products than we used to,” Messinger told the Missoula Current during the groundbreaking ceremony. “We need that space to expand as a beverage company and carry the things that consumers want.”
