Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages will be the new beverage provider for Abilene Christian University beginning May 2.
ACU signed a five-year contract with the Dallas-based bottler, which will bring Coca-Cola products to the university’s main cafeteria, The World Famous Bean; on-campus retail dining locations; concession stands; and vending machines.
A recent survey of faculty, staff and students highlighted beverage preferences that aligned with Coca-Cola products, said Kevin Campbell, senior vice president for operations for the university. Of the top 15 brands ACU consumers were most likely to purchase, 11 of those were offered by Coca-Cola.
“Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages came to us with a competitive offer, so that allowed us to consider if their product offerings would be a better fit for us,” Campbell said. “Coke is one of the strongest brands in the world, so we are excited to partner with them.”
The transition to Coca-Cola products and their broad portfolio of choices will begin May 2 in The World Famous Bean and other retail dining locations.
In addition, the bottler will be co-branding with ACU on its products locally including use of the university logo on delivery trucks and merchandising for stores in Abilene and the Big Country.
In Abilene, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (CCSWB) employs more than 350 people in roles including production, distribution and sales. CCSWB is a company of Arca Continental, one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the United States. CCSWB produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola brands throughout Texas and parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The company employs more than 8,000 associates who operate seven production plants and 37 distribution facilities, serving more than 31 million consumers. Headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, Arca Continental is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the world with an outstanding history spanning more than 91 years. Within its Coca-Cola franchise, Arca Continental serves more than 118 million consumers in Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru and the Southwestern U.S. For more information, visit cocacolaswb.com and arcacontal.com.
— Wendy Kilmer
May 2, 2022