Gov. Malloy Visits Coca-Cola

Connecticut is “.”

At least to the people who run the Coca-Cola distribution center in Waterford.

“The business environment in Connecticut is positive right now,” Coca-Cola Public Affairs Representative Toney Anaya told Gov. Dannel Malloy Monday afternoon.

The governor toured the facility, which opened in May of 2011. The distribution center was originally located in New London, but when the company decided it was time to move, there was no doubt the headquarters would stay in Connecticut, Site General Manager Steven Perrelli said.

“We considered Rhode Island, because we sell to Rhode Island,” Perrelli said. “But we want to be in Connecticut. It is important for us to be in Connecticut.”

The Tour

Perrelli took Malloy, along with a legion of other politicians and community leaders, around the 85,000 square foot facility located at 150 Parkway South. He first gave the group a slideshow of good deeds by the company, and then showed them the site’s offices and massive warehouse.

The site, which employs 104 people, is used as a distribution center for New London County, part of Rhode Island and some more northern areas of the state, Perrelli said. The site distributes 3.4 million cases of drinks annually, and its largest customers include local supermarkets, restaurants and Mohegan Sun, he said.

Perrelli stressed the strong relationship the Coca-Cola site had with local charities and businesses. The company donates products to places like the women’s shelter in New London, has partnerships with some of Connecticut’s largest tourist attractions like the Mystic Aquarium and many of the people who work at the site are active in the community, he said.

Additionally, the site is very environmentally friendly, beyond what was required, Perrelli said. For example, there are acres on the site around Jordan Brook left untouched to ensure the brook would remain clean, he said.

The company also made its own vernal pools to encourage habitats and even raised the fence around the facility to allow animals the ability to go under it, Perrelli said. It is important to Coca-Cola to be “green,” he said.

“I never learned so much about amphibians in my life,” said Perrelli about designed the building. “It is really important for us to be sustainable.”

Perrelli also showed Malloy and the other leaders new products on the horizon. The one that got the most attention was an interactive video vending machine, which is starting to sprout up around the area, he said.

“We wanted to be here in (Connecticut),” Perrelli said. "We are active in (Connecticut), and involved in (Connecticut).”