Swire Coca-Cola, USA will establish a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Colorado Springs, the company announced late Wednesday afternoon.

The Draper, Utah-based company plans to break ground next year on a 620,000-square-foot facility at Peak Innovation Park, the 1,600-acre business park at the entrance to Colorado Springs Airport on the city’s southeast side. Swire Coca-Cola, USA leadership joined regional elected and economic development officials, community members and the Coca-Cola polar bear to make the announcement at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum downtown.

The company originally planned to build the bottling facility near Denver International Airport, but Swire officials pulled the plug in July. Company spokespeople said that was due to “unforeseen delays and ongoing timeline instability,” according to published reports.

Swire Coca-Cola, USA’s planned $475 million capital investment is estimated to create 170 local jobs, officials said.

“This is one of the most significant manufacturing projects in our community in recent years. It is a powerful sign and a signal that we’re not just growing, but we are also competing and we are winning on a national scale,” Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce & EDC President and CEO Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer told the audience of about 50 people.

The company manufactures, distributes and sells Coca-Cola and other beverage brands in 13 states across the American West. Swire Coca-Cola has operated in Colorado since 1980 and employs 1,300 people across seven facilities in the state, according to its website. In 2023, the company opened a 145,000-square-foot distribution facility near the municipal airport in Colorado Springs, where it employs 170 people.

“Colorado Springs checked all the boxes for where we want to locate this … manufacturing plant,” Bryan Sink, senior vice president of supply chain at Swire Coca-Cola, USA, told the crowd.

In a Wednesday news release from the chamber, Sink said the city’s highly skilled workforce and its strong sense of community made it the ideal location to establish the plant.

“Colorado Springs has been a great partner for our existing distribution facility,” Sink said in the release. “… This investment represents our long-term commitment to the region, supporting local jobs, enhancing our production capabilities and ensuring we continue manufacturing our large portfolio of beverage brands right here in Colorado.”

Swire Coca-Cola, USA will consolidate and modernize its production operations into its new facility at Peak Innovation Park, officials said in the release. It will replace Swire Coca-Cola USA’s 90-year-old production plant in Denver, allowing the company to provide employees with a modernized working environment, meet increasing customer demand and further its sustainability goals, officials said.

Sink told reporters after the announcement that the company expects to open the new bottling plant in Colorado Springs in 2028.

The company will pursue LEED Gold certification for the new manufacturing facility, signifying it has met certain criteria for energy efficiency, water conservation and others. Its distribution plant in Colorado Springs operates on 100% renewable energy, Sink said.

The new plant will produce more than 230 beverage options from 60 brands, including sparkling soft drinks, waters, teas, juice drinks and sports beverages.

On-site jobs include production, maintenance, quality, logistics and management roles, the release said. Officials expect each on-site job to support two additional local jobs, which benefits suppliers, service providers and other regional businesses.

During construction, the project is estimated to support nearly 1,200 construction and installation jobs, generating approximately $103 million in direct labor income for El Paso County workers and their families.

Bonnie Goff, vice president of economic development at the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, said Swire Coca-Cola, USA’s investment highlights the strength of the local workforce and will fuel the Pikes Peak region’s continued economic growth, support its small businesses and create more opportunities for families.

The company considered several locations inside and outside of Colorado for its new site. The Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC worked with several partners to offer performance-based incentive packages to attract the company to the Pikes Peak region, the release said.

“When a global brand expands in a community, it sends a clear message that this place is worth betting on. I may be a little bit biased, but I can say with confidence that you’re betting on the right city,” Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said at Thursday’s press conference. “… This investment strengthens our business ecosystem, accelerates our momentum and adds a powerful chapter to the Colorado Springs story.”

The Peak Innovation business park in southeast Colorado Springs is also home to Amazon fulfillment and sorting centers, Amazon distribution, Northrop Grumman, The Aerospace Corporation and Frito-Lay.