East African Bottling S.C (EABSC) commenced the construction of Birr 420 million plant two weeks ago in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, Addis Fortune reported.

The plant is being constructed on 30ha plot of land and is part of a 500 million Dollar investment the company launched in April 2012.

EABSC Produces and bottles beverages from Fanta Group, Coca-Cola, Sprite, Schwepps, Coke Light and Dasani water.

Elmi-Olindo Plc, a local construction company will undertake the construction. Elmi-Olindo has a history of building various beverage plants in addition to East African’s bottling plant in Dire Dawa.

Coca-Cola was bottled in Ethiopia for the first time in 1959 by the Ethiopian Bottling S.C which later opened a second branch in Dire Dawa in 1965. Until these two plants were purchased by Ethiopian investors, they were nationalized and operated as public companies in 1975 to 1996.

Coca-Cola, in the last two years has invested USD 200 million in Ethiopia, according to Herbert Nuwamanya, country sales and marketing manager at EABSC.

The new plant in Bahir Dar with a capacity of producing 15 million cases per annum is expected to be inaugurated within 18 months.

Source: Addis Fortune