Coca-Cola Amatil has reportedly expanded its Richlands bottling and warehouse facility, which is the beverage giant’s biggest manufacturing plant in Australia for AUD 165 million.

As per trusted sources, the extended site located in Queensland currently possesses a capacity of producing over 90 million unit cases of beverages for domestic and export markets. The plant produces a wide range of sparkling and still drinks, dairy-based drinks, juices, teas, and alcohol.

Sources reported that the Richlands site is the only bottling and distribution shape for Coca-Cola’s signature contour glass bottles. The plant is also set to absorb production of Amatil’s overall Australian diary range, which includes Barista Brothers drinks. It will also continue exporting Barista Brothers and Powerade over to New Zealand.

According to sources familiar with the development, the facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art 30,000-square meter distribution center, which has a capacity of 45,000 pallets. The new distribution center brings together the advantages of lower operating costs, less material handling, and fewer local truck movements.

Alison Watkins, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Amatil group said in a statement that the Richlands site was chosen for expansion as it offered the strongest amalgamation of a road and port access, access to east-coast markets, efficiency in production and room to grow, Watkins added.

The Richlands site has contributed to a sizable increase in Coca-Cola Amatil’s Australian Beverages’ bottling capacity, after recent surges in revenue and volume sales, the company said in a statement.
In addition, the site is also supported by the latest processing technology known as SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) system. Being a single integrated processing system, it improves the visibility of operations and meets supply with demand in a better way.

For the record, in 2017, Coca-Cola declared to remodel its Australian supply chain, with more focus on technology and automation. The company unveiled its intentions to increase production in Queensland using extra investments at the Richlands site, cited sources.