Thirst is first
renada can rightfully boast about many things…but how about the makers of the most iconic drink on the planet heaping accolades on the island’s bottling company! According to Chris Warner, General manager and Director of Grenada Bottling Company Limited - the Coca Cola product manufactured and bottled right here in Grenada, has been voted number one, beating out some stiff competition from other much larger islands. “Of all the parameters that Coca Cola International check for, our Coca Cola product in Grenada was rated as #1 in the entire Caribbean. So we are very proud of that achievement, to be rated the best was and is a very proud moment for us and a wonderful achievement” says Warner. Grenada Bottling Company Limited started life back in 1959 when its founder Sandy Taylor (M.D. Fran Taylors father) formed the company to become Grenada’s first and only manufacturer and bottler of Coca Cola. “As a manufacturer and bottler of one of the most iconic brands in the world, there are challenges as we are subject to Coca Cola’s global standards. We get audited by Coca Cola by four different departments on an ongoing basis. We have to meet and pass
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GRENADA BOTTLING CO.
Fran Taylor CEO their requirements or face shut down and that’s just our operational standards. On a product level, the product is tested on a monthly basis by Coca Cola ‘secret agents’, who come on island and sample our products at retailers all over the island. We don’t know who or when they come, but they do.” Today the company employs 60 people with more jobs planned in the future, once the company’s distribution network and overall portfolio of business are increased... all under the astute management of Francis Taylor, the company’s Managing Director. www.businessgrenada.com
However as a Company they do face challenges, “Everybody wants a piece of the Coca Cola action, people with an entrepreneurial spirit will go outside and import the product themselves and compete with us. There should be restrictions on people doing this, but it is difficult to police and to monitor so we do have competition in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