National Beverage Company, Palestinian Authority Areas Named "Best Country Bottling Operation"

More than $470,000 in Prize Money Awarded in Total

Manama, Bahrain, May 27, 2012:  As part of Coca-Cola's Eurasia and Africa Group's Annual Sustainability awards, the National Beverage Company (NBC), operating in the Palestinian Authority Areas, was named the "Best Country Bottling Operation" from among more than 100 country bottling operations.   Additionally, the Al-Ahlia Gulf Line in the United Arab Emirates was recognized among the finalists who were nominated for the Grand prize.

National Beverage Company's recognition comes with a $100,000 cash prize, with the condition to spend at least half of this amount in a program to support sustainable communities. Further to the Grand Prize, the National Beverage Company also took home the title of Best Performing Plant under the umbrella of Environment, with a win of $80,000 case prize of which 50% will be used to further develop the environmental initiatives that NBC is engaged in.

The 10 finalists who competed for the Grand prize included Coca-Cola Hellenic in Armenia, Coca-Cola Icecek in Azerbaijan, Wave Beverages in India, Brindavan Agro Industries Limited in India, Brasseries de Bourbon in La Reunion, National Beverage Company in Palestinian Authority Areas, Peninsula Beverage Company in South Africa, SABCO Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka, SABCO Century Bottling Company in Uganda, and Al-Ahlia Gulf Line in the United Arab Emirates.

Emphasizing bottling partners roles in building sustainable communities, Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group President Ahmet Bozer said, "The private sector and community are in fact not separate entities, they are one. They either thrive together, or fail".

The bottling operations in the Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group accomplished an impressive reduction exceeding 20% in the water used for the production of its beverages and in the energy use, since 2004.

The winner of the Grand Prize was selected by an International Jury, comprised of senior leaders of The Coca-Cola Company as well as reputable stakeholders; including:

1. Axumite Gebre-Egziabher, Ph. D,  Director, Regional Office for Africa, UN Habitat

2. Joakim Harlin, Ph. D, Senior Advisor, Global  Water Governance Programme, UNDP

3. Monica Ellis, President & CEO, Global Environment Technology Foundation

4. Professor Nahla Hwalla, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut

5. Narayan Hegde, Ph.D, Trustee, BAIF Development Research Foundation, India

6. Professor Nikolai Drozdov, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Doctor of Ecology

7. Suzanne Apple, Managing Director and VP for Business and Industry, WWF-USA

The Jury assessed the contribution of the finalists to the sustainability of the communities in which they operate. The 10 nominees were identified by a stringent set of criteria in the fields of Energy and Water Efficiency, Quality and Safety, while compliance to Workplace Rights was a prerequisite for winning any of the Prizes. 

More than 100 bottling plants were assessed for the Eurasia and Africa Group President's Sustainability Awards in 6 categories and the winners include:

Most Improved Plant, 2011 - Energy Efficiency (Prize: $70,000):

Monrovia Plant in Liberia, Operated by Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company

Most Improved Plant, 2011 - Quality (Prize: $70,000):

Visakhapatnam Plant in India, operated by Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Company

Most Improved Plant, 2011 - Water Efficiency (Prize: $70,000):

Nagpur Plant in India, operated by Superior Drinks Private Limited

Best Performing Plant, 2011 - Environment (Prize: $80,000):

Ramallah Plant in Palestinian Authority Areas, operated by National Beverage Company

Best Performing Plant, 2011 - Quality (Prize: $80,000):

Oryel Plant in the Russian Federation, operated by Coca-Cola Hellenic

Grand Prize- Best Country Bottling Operation (Prize: $100,000):

National Beverage Company, Palestinian Authority Areas

The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo.

Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group, coordinates business operations of The Coca-Cola Company in 90 Countries, including the entire Africa Continent as well as India and South West Asia, Middle East, Russia-Ukraine-Belarus, Southern Eurasia and Turkey Business Units.

The headquarters of the Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group is in Istanbul, Turkey.

© Press Release 2012