A 100-acre consolidated headquarters in Birmingham
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United opened its new $350 million, 100-acre campus in Birmingham on Sept. 3, 2026, a facility that combines the bottler's corporate headquarters, Birmingham sales center, and the headquarters of its Central Region and North Alabama Division. Spanning roughly 576,000 square feet, the site sits on what was once the Stockham Valve property along 40th Street North facing Interstate 20/59, with construction on the redeveloped site beginning in 2024 after Coca-Cola United acquired the property in 2013.
Jobs moved and added on the site
The campus will retain about 750 jobs previously based at the company's 4600 East Lake Blvd. distribution center, which Coca-Cola United has occupied since 1979, and is set to add up to 50 more positions. Across two outlets, company statements place the eventual headcount on the new campus at "about 750 to 800 associates." The North Alabama Division headquartered there will continue to oversee operations in Carbon Hill, Cullman, Florence, Oxford, and Tuscaloosa.
Vertique warehouse and the Dynamic Ribbon gateway
The site includes a 150,000-square-foot multi-floor office complex and a roughly 300,000-square-foot warehouse equipped with the Vertique case-picking system, a vertical storage setup Coca-Cola United says improves efficiency, customer service, and worker safety. At the ribbon event, CEO Mike Suco said about 10,000 cases would sit on the major conveyor lines at any given time. The bottle-shaped plaza visible from the air and the trademark "Dynamic Ribbon" across the front of the building are intended to mark Birmingham for travelers approaching from Atlanta and for flights into the city.
Move-in timeline and operations handoff
Coca-Cola United said the campus is expected to become fully operational within about 10 days of the opening event, with inventory already being transferred. Suco described a Sept. 14 cutover in which delivery trucks will leave the old East Lake facility, run their routes, return to the new warehouse for reloading, and continue operating from the new site. The new warehouse acts as a distribution hub for Jefferson County and 11 surrounding counties.
Company framing of the investment
Calling the project more than a building, Suco framed the campus as both an investment in the company's future and in the city where Coca-Cola United was founded 125 years ago. The two lead outlets reported the project's price tag differently: WVTM 13 described it as a "$300 million" campus, while al.com and ABC 33/40 both characterized the investment as $350 million, with ABC 33/40's headline noting the campus "exceeds original investment, job goals."
Share this article
