ATLANTA -- The Coca-Cola Co. and several of its key U.S. bottlers said they will work together to develop and test new customer service and distribution systems to supplement their direct-store delivery (DSD) system. In conjunction with this agreement, the bottlers participating in this initiative will dismiss without prejudice the current lawsuits pending in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, and Circuit Court of Jefferson County in Birmingham, Ala.
Representatives of the plaintiff bottlers have already agreed to the initiative and Coca-Cola said it hopes [image-nocss] all U. S. bottlers will participate.
Our bottling system is our heritage, and it will be the foundation for our future growth. The partnership with our bottlers is what makes the Coca- Cola system powerful and unique, and we will work diligently to ensure that we move forward and succeed together, said J.A.M. Sandy Douglas, president, Coca-Cola North America, Atlanta. One of the historic strengths of our system has been its ability to change and adapt as our consumers, customers and competitors have changed. By working together on new customer service and distribution systems, we will ensure that our system's second century is as bright as ever.
The entire system should be pleased that we reached a solution which preserves our fundamental strengths, but creates a path to adjust to meet the current needs of an evolving marketplace, said Hager Rand, president of the Coca-Cola Bottlers' Association, and president and chairman of Durham Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Under the agreement, the company will join U.S. Coca-Cola bottlers in testing various new route to market service systems to bring the company's products to customers who require special services.
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