The Coca-Cola Company on May 17 inaugurated its fourth beverage production plant in Uzbekistan.

The facility, with three lines for the production of 280mn litres of finished products annually, was established with an investment of more than $110mn.

The inauguration ceremony for the plant, located in Jambay district of Uzbekistan’s central and most populous region of Samarkand, was attended by Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov, the khokim (governor) of Samarkand region Erkin Turdimov, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company James Quincey, chairman of Turkey’s Anadolu Group (Anadolu subsidiary Coca-Cola Icecek (CCOLA) is the 100%-owner of Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan) Tuncay Ozilhan and CEO of Anadolu Group Burak Basarir.

Kudratov said that Coca-Cola’s entry into Uzbekistan was a testament to the country’s flourishing business environment. The global soft drinks giant already has Uzbek plants in Tashkent, Urgench and Namangan. “Our reforms [to create a favourable business environment] are not just promises but actions that have made our investment environment more attractive and competitive,” the minister added.

Quincey said: "Samarkand, known for its important role on the Silk Road, has long been a centre of trade and innovation. Our investments in Samarkand are a real treasure. It reflects our belief in the potential of Uzbekistan’s economy to drive growth."

Anadolu Group’s Basarir said that Uzbekistan is the fastest-growing international division of Anadolu, having nearly doubled since 2021. He noted that the company has invested $500mn in Uzbekistan. “Initially, we invested over $250 million in acquiring the company, and then about $120 million in production,” he said, as cited by UzDaily.

He added: "We aim to build a sustainable and profitable business in Uzbekistan. This facility does not just represent an expansion of production capacity but also symbolises our ongoing ambitions to grow our business in Uzbekistan. Currently, we provide over 1,600 jobs in Uzbekistan. This facility will create more than 300 new jobs in Samarkand region."

The plant is scheduled to go into operation in the first quarter of 2025, with product to be sold on the domestic market and on CIS export markets.

Coca-Cola will establish a fifth production plant in Uzbekistan, in Namangan region, by 2025, the presidential press service has announced.

Two days prior to the opening of the Samarkand plant, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed his support for the ambitious ventures of the Coca-Cola Company in the country during a meeting with Quincey and Anadolu’s Ozilhan.

In September 2021, Icecek completed the acquisition of a 57.1% stake in Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan from The State Assets Management Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan (UZSAMA) for a consideration of $252mn.

In December 2021, Icecek completed the acquisition of the remaining 42.88% stake in Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan from The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, a unit of The Coca-Cola Company (New York/KO), for a consideration of $90mn.

The Coca-Cola Export Corporation has a 20.09% stake in Icecek.