Atlantic, Iowa, bottler to distribute Coca-Cola

A family-owned southwest Iowa bottling company will handle distribution of Coca-Cola products in Cedar Rapids and six other Iowa communities.

Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling, based in Atlantic, has signed a letter of intent with Coca-Cola Co. for expanded territory rights. The company will assume territories that surround distribution centers in Cedar Rapids, Ames, Dubuque, Mason City, Ottumwa, Spirit Lake and the Quad Cities.

Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling is owned by the family of founders Harry and Henry Tyler. The company also has operations in Waukee.

The transition from existing Coca-Cola distributors is subject to Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling and Coca-Cola of Atlanta reaching definitive agreements. Financial terms were not disclosed.

'We are proud to expand our relationship with the Coca-Cola Co. to provide services to an even greater area in Iowa and parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri,” said Kirk Tyler, president of Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling, in a news release.

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Cedar Rapids, 851 66th Ave. SW, distributes Coca-Cola products bottled in the Quad Cities to communities in Eastern Iowa.

Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling is one of three U.S. bottlers granted expanded distribution territories in seven states as part of Coca-Cola's ongoing efforts to refranchise half of company-owned U.S. bottler-delivered volume by the end of 2017.

In each territory, Coca-Cola Co. will grant exclusive rights to the bottlers for the sale and distribution of bottler-delivered Coca-Cola beverages.

'We are confident that we are building a model that is modern, agile and consumer and customer focused,” said Sandy Douglas, president of Coca-Cola North America, in a news release announcing the agreement.