DENVER — Swire Coca-Cola USA, a prominent Coca-Cola bottler in the Western United States, has confirmed plans for a new bottling plant near Denver International Airport. According to the project’s website, Swire Coca-Cola plans to invest between $350 million and $500 million to construct the facility, which will be located at the airport’s Second Creek Campus.
According to Denver Business Journal, the new facility will span 570,000 square feet. The project website estimates that Swire Coca-Cola will break ground in third-quarter 2025 and hold a grand opening in first-quarter 2027. Additionally, equipment is scheduled to be installed and commissioned in third-quarter 2026.
Swire Coca-Cola plans to use the property to replace both an existing production center at 3825 York St. and a sales center at 2145 E. 40th Ave., which are located within a half-mile of each other and about 17 miles southwest of the airport.
The new Swire Coca-Cola plant, which will be used for the bottling of both Coca-Cola plastic bottles and aluminum cans, will sit on 97 acres at the northeast corner of Tower Road and Pena Boulevard. The company plans to employ approximately 200 people at the new facility.
Denver Business Journal reports that Denver City Council approved a $270.7 million, 75-year ground lease agreement with the company in April 2023. The agreement gives Swire Coca-Cola the first right of refusal for 30 additional acres at the site and three eight-year lease extension options.
Earlier this month, the media outlet also reported that PepsiCo’s planned 1.2 million-square-foot manufacturing facility is underway at Denver International Airport, but is experiencing construction delays.
Swire Coca-Cola is headquartered in Draper, Utah. The company serves nearly 30 million consumers in 13 Western and Midwest states. Swire Coca-Cola employs approximately 7,400 people, including 1,152 employees in Colorado across eight facilities.
Swire Coca-Cola is currently the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the state. The company is part of JS&S (Beverages) Inc., which is a subsidiary of London-based John Swire & Sons Ltd.
— John Nelson