Arca Continental Unveils $250 Million Expansion to Bolster Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Operations
Arca Continental, the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America, is investing $250 million to expand its Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (CCSWB) operations in Texas. The company has broken ground on a new, state-of-the-art facility in west Houston, marking a major milestone in its U.S. growth strategy.
Spanning 1 million square feet, the new plant is set to be CCSWB’s most advanced and sustainable production and distribution center to date. Strategically located to serve the growing demand across the southwest United States, the facility will enable more efficient logistics and increased production capacity across Coca-Cola’s broad beverage portfolio.
Scheduled to begin operations in 2025, the new site will create more than 125 new jobs and feature high-speed manufacturing lines alongside distribution and warehousing capabilities. Sustainability is central to the project, with innovations designed to reduce water and energy use, minimize waste, and support circular economy practices in line with Coca-Cola’s global environmental commitments.
Since acquiring the bottling and distribution rights for Coca-Cola in the southwestern U.S. in 2017, Arca Continental has committed over $1.2 billion in infrastructure, technology, and talent development in the region. The investment reflects strong consumer demand in key markets like Texas, which continues to see robust population and retail growth—factors contributing to rising beverage consumption and FMCG expansion opportunities.
Manuel L. Barragán Morales, Chairman of the Board of Arca Continental, emphasized the company’s long-term vision. “With this new facility, we’re reaffirming our commitment to create shared value through continued investment, innovation, and job creation in the communities we serve,” he said during the groundbreaking ceremony.
CCSWB currently operates 12 production facilities and employs more than 9,000 people across Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and parts of Arkansas. The upcoming Houston facility will not only strengthen operational resilience but also enable faster go-to-market execution—a critical advantage in the highly competitive non-alcoholic beverage segment.
For FMCG players, this move underlines the importance of regional manufacturing hubs, sustainability-led innovation, and close-to-market distribution strategies in capturing growth in high-consumption zones. As major bottlers like Arca Continental scale capabilities