Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced the grand opening of the 700,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Heartland Coca-Cola Olathe Production Campus (OPC). The more than $400-million investment will enhance the company’s production capabilities and support local economic growth.
“Heartland Coca-Cola’s new production campus will be a regional hub for distributing its world-renowned beverages, demonstrating the state’s strength in logistics,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The company’s investment underscores how strategic planning and intentional collaboration bring new opportunities to Kansas. By prioritizing our state’s strengths and investing in our targeted sectors, we are creating economic momentum that will be sustained far into the future.”
Heartland Coca-Cola is an anchor bottler in the Midwest — serving Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois and parts of Iowa and Nebraska. The company was founded in 2017 by successful former NBA professional and business leader Junior Bridgeman. Heartland has continued to grow its business, now reaching 25,000 customers — serving 10 million individual consumers and selling more than 50 million cases annually in its territory.
“The OPC is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the Heartland region, our employees, and our customers,” Heartland Coca-Cola CEO Justin Bridgeman said. “With this world-class, state-of-the-art facility, we’re not just meeting today’s demands -- we’re building for the future. This campus allows us to innovate faster, produce more sustainably, and deliver the beverages our consumers love with greater precision and care. Just as important, it enables us to train and equip our employees with 21st century technology and skills – ensuring they’re prepared to lead the way in a rapidly evolving industry. It’s a major step forward in our journey to be the best bottler in the Coca-Cola system and a long-term partner in the communities we serve.”
The new campus sits on 150 acres and houses four production lines, with two for aluminum cans and two for PET bottles — engineered to support a wide variety of pack sizes and beverage types, including carbonated soft drinks and still beverages.
“This state-of-the-art production campus and continued partnership is opening new doors of opportunity for a regional distribution powerhouse,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Heartland’s generational investment will fuel its cutting-edge production lines and bring new opportunities for employees to grow, develop new skills and advance their professional careers here in Kansas.”
Heartland’s expansion deploys highly advanced new technologies, ensuring an effective and efficient process for manufacturing and distribution. These advancements will enable Heartland Coca-Cola to:
- Increase production capacity to meet growing consumer demand
- Improve efficiency, sustainability and reduce environmental impact
- Enhance product quality and innovation
- Enhance the work of its employees
“When we first learned that Heartland Coca-Cola was building in the City of Olathe, our initial reaction was what can we do to help,” Olathe Mayor John Bacon said. “Over the past two years, Heartland has become one of city’s best community partners and we are looking forward to many more years of collaboration.”
Heartland Coca-Cola is committed to being a strong community partner and plans to continue its support of local initiatives and organizations through various programs and partnerships.