Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (HBC), the bottling partner to Coca-Cola in the north, added £45 million of business across the island in 2023, during which it also hired more than 50 new staff.
Latest accounts for the company, which operates from a 50,000 sq metres manufacturing facility at Knockmore Hill in Lisburn, showed that its sales last year fizzed by 15% from £291.2m to £335.9m.
Broken down by geographic location, turnover is almost an equal split between Northern Ireland and Britain (£176m) and the Republic (£160m).
Pre-tax profits rose to £47.3m, and after taxes and interest, its retained profit for the year came in at £39.8m compared to £35.2m in 2002.
In January last year the company announced plans to pump in £17 million to expand its canning and bottling plant in Lisburn - the single biggest investment in the Knockmore Hill site since it was opened in 2008.
It added another 50,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehousing and logistics space to the facility, and was predicted to add 35 more jobs in Lisburn, where Coke has had a presence since 1939.
And its 2023 accounts show that the staff roster in Lisburn has actually risen over the year from 429 to 482, with most of the new hires coming in production.
Subsequently, the wages bill rose by around £5m to £31.5m, which on a simple mathematical (but non-scientific) calculation equates to more than £65,400 per employee. The highest-paid director received £236,700.
The accounts show that, following the Tory government’s decision to raise corporation tax from 19% in 2022 to 23.5% last year, its bill in that column alone more than quadrupled from £374,000 to £1.7 million.
Meanwhile the company has confirmed the reopening of its fully refurbished visitor experience centre at its Lisburn manufacturing facility, offers groups over the age of 13 an exclusive opportunity to get behind the scenes.
Visitors can explore the manufacturing process, the rich history, and marketing behind some of the world’s most popular drinks including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Coke, Fanta, and Sprite. They will also have the opportunity to learn more about locally produced brands like Deep RiverRock and Fruice.
After undergoing an extensive refurbishment and with a brand-new interactive zone, the centre is open for a range of visitors from school, community and corporate groups, who can book tours for free at coca-colahbc.ie.
Tom Burke, corporate affairs & sustainability director at Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “We’re especially looking forward to showcasing our continued sustainability actions and our work in the local community.
“The visitor centre is a great activity for any school or community group, or even local businesses who are interested in learning more about how our beverages make it into consumers hands across the island.”
