The site celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2021. Now, a £28m [$34m] investment in the factory is ‘highlighting CCEP’s commitment to investing the latest in manufacturing innovation’. This investment includes the new line, which is capable of producing 2,000 cans a minute.
The new line will support production of key Coca-Cola brands such as Coca-Cola original taste, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Fanta, Dr Pepper, Sprite and Schweppes.
The opening of the new canning line was attended by Louie French, MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, who met CCEP’s General Manager Stephen Moorhouse and VP for Customer Service and Supply Chain, Javier Gandarias Sanchez, as well as the site’s operations director, Karl Probert and colleagues on the factory floor.
Stephen Moorhouse, Vice-President and General Manager, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (GB), commented, “We’ve been at the heart of the Sidcup community for more than 60 years and we’re proud of the team here helping to drive the latest innovations in manufacturing.
“We’ve invested almost £120m [$146m] into the factory since 2017, helping us to support the local economy and accelerate our path to net zero.”
The Sidcup site currently boasts a workforce of around 400 people. CCEP – which is the world’s largest independent bottler of Coca-Cola – champions a commitment at the site to create a more diverse workforce: with CCEP’s ‘Everyone is Welcome’ ethos encouraging women and others who might not have previously considered a career in manufacturing to do so.
This means recruitment practices focus on skills and aptitude rather than historical qualifications alone, alongside more flexible working options to suit a range of lifestyles.
The Sidcup site has also supported 21 apprentices across its career builder and early careers offering.
