Coca-Cola soft drink

Coca-Cola is one of the world's most recognizable beverages, originally invented in 1886 by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. While the brand and the secret formula are owned by The Coca-Cola Company in the United States, the physical production and distribution of the beverage are handled by a network of strategic bottling partners.

Coca-Cola HBC AG is one of the largest and most significant of these partners. Headquartered in Switzerland, it operates across 29 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Because of this franchise model, a bottle of Coca-Cola is typically manufactured in the country or region where it is sold, using local water and labor while following the strict quality standards of the parent company. In 2025 and 2026, Coca-Cola HBC significantly expanded its footprint by acquiring Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, solidifying its role as a titan in the emerging markets bottling sector.