Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company celebrated the grand opening of its new 700,000-square-foot campus on Tuesday in Olathe.
Called the Olathe Production Campus, the $400 million investment sits on 150 acres at 17100 S. Hedge Lane. It’s home to four state-of-the-art production lines — two for aluminum cans, which produce 2,000 cans per minute, and two for PET bottles, a type of clear plastic bottle, which produce 900 bottles per minute, according to a news release.
Justin Bridgeman, CEO of Heartland Coca-Cola, said the production campus is “a testament to our unwavering commitment to the Heartland region, our employees, and our customers,” he was quoted in the news release.
“With this world-class, state-of-the-art facility, we’re not just meeting today’s demands — we’re building for the future,” Bridgeman said. “It’s a major step forward in our journey to be the best bottler in the Coca-Cola system and a long-term partner in the communities we serve.”
Heartland Coca-Cola’s service includes more than 25,000 customers in five states:
- Kansas
- Missouri
- southern Illinois
- select counties in Iowa and Nebraska
“The opening of this state-of-the-art production campus marks a significant milestone for the state of Kansas,” Lt. Gov. David Toland said in a news release. “Heartland Coca-Cola’s investment demonstrates the strength of our workforce and our commitment to advancing modern manufacturing. We’re proud to have supported this through our economic development efforts.”
The company was founded in 2017 by Junior Bridgeman, a former professional basketball player and business leader. He believed in an inverted pyramid style of leadership — the production employees being the most important, then customers and then the least important, himself, said Charles Wyant, president and chief operating officer.
“We want to be a model for the system,” said Teneca Nicole Clark, Heartland Coca-Cola’s vice president of supply chain. “We are a bottler here in the Midwest that is not afraid to try things that maybe others are not doing, because we understand to be the best, to really be excellent, you cannot be afraid of failure.”
Bridgeman died earlier this year, before the campus was completed. His son, Justin Bridgeman, took up the mantle as Chief Executive Officer for Heartland Coca-Cola.
“One very important person not with us today is, of course, Junior Bridgeman,” said Olathe Mayor John Bacon. “We were all charmed by his presence at the chamber meeting this year, and we all walked away with a lot to think about following his remarks.”
“He reminded us of what’s most important at a company, at a city, pretty much anywhere really where you’re trying to build something that will last — and that’s the people,” Bacon added. “Junior built something here at Heartland Coca-Cola and we have no doubt Justin, you’ll do the same.”
Companywide, Heartland Coca-Cola employs more than 2,400 people and is committed to partnering with their employee communities, said Evan Haake, senior director of operations. For example, Heartland worked with Gardner Edgerton School District staff and students to design and install a landscaping project at the building’s main entrance, highlighting sustainability, recycling and water stewardship.
Additionally, Heartland’s other sustainability efforts benefit the community, including:
- Producing lightweight bottles and using 100% recycled plastic for core products.
- Donating syrup barrels for zoo animal care and rain harvesting in nearby communities.
- Employee-led community initiatives, like river cleanups.
“We want the community to know that we are honored to get to be a part of your neighborhoods, a part of your family,” Clark said. “We want to ensure that when you think about Heartland, you know that you matter to us. And hopefully, we matter to you.”
