Coca-Cola positive on Malaysia's outlook

Coca-Cola positive on Malaysia’s outlook

As part of its growth, RM500m from the investment was allocated to the plant's expansion and a state-of-the-art ASRS warehouse

THE Coca-Cola Bottlers (M) Sdn Bhd (CCBM) said it will continue to make significant infrastructure investments in the country in order to build a stronger brand presence and to underpin its commitment to Malaysia.

In a statement, the bottling arm of The Coca-Cola Co said, to-date, it has invested RM1.3 billion cumulatively in building its world-class distribution hub at the halal park, Bandar Enstek in Negri Sembilan and supporting the Malaysian economy.

Louis Balat

“We are proud of our heritage in Malaysia since 1936 and we remain committed to being a strong business partner to the Malaysian government,” its bottling investments group for Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei CEO Louis Balat (picture) said.

Beyond its infrastructure investments, CCBM has also continuously invested in building a strong talent pool here in Malaysia, employing about 1,000 direct employees while generating more than 10,000 indirect jobs in companies supporting its supply chain.

As part of its growth, RM500 million from the investment was allocated to the plant’s expansion and a state-of-the-art Automated Storage Retrieval System (ASRS) warehouse, tripling its plant’s site storage capacity and paving the path to sustainable manufacturing.

With ASRS, which is the first PowerStore System deployed in South-East Asia, CCBM is set to contribute to the country’s role as a regional hub and centre of excellence for advanced, automated intralogistics.

CCBM said it remains positive about the long-term outlook of its business and the broader Malaysian economy, reinforcing its commitment to the communities they serve here.

From recycling initiatives through many partnerships and providing access to clean water for more than 22,000 villagers in rural Sabah to programs on empowering women economically, the company is dedicated to building sustainable communities in Malaysia.

“We intend to continue investing in this country, in the local talent pool, in innovation and technology, realising our World Without Waste vision, and in local communities,” concluded Balat. — TMR