The Coca-Cola Company is selling its Truesdale production facility to Dutch company Refresco, the companies announced and local representatives confirmed in August.

In a press release issued Aug. 3, Refresco announced that it has agreed to purchase three Coca-Cola production facilities, located in Truesdale; Waco, Texas; and Paw Paw, Michigan. Refresco said it will contract with Coca-Cola to continue producing the company’s beverages in the U.S.

Refresco is based in the port city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and identifies itself as the world’s largest independent bottler, contracting with various brands to produce drinks in Europe and North America. The company said it is driving to expand its manufacturing footprint in North America and capitalizing on a trend of major beverage companies outsourcing their production.

“Adding three hot fill production sites to our footprint is a great opportunity,” Refresco COO Brad Goist said in the press release. “I am convinced that our retail and A-brand customers across North America will be able to benefit from our extended capabilities and broadened geographical footprint.”

Managers at the Truesdale bottling plant confirmed that the facility’s sale is part of a larger strategy by Coca-Cola to divest itself of manufacturing plants and contract with third parties for beverage production.

In a letter distributed to retailers and vendors last week, Truesdale Coca-Cola General Manager Dedrick Harris and Finance Manager Curtis Rempel said the sale is scheduled to be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2021. They also clarified that although Coca-Cola and Refresco plan to do business with one another, the companies remain independent entities.

“The two companies are signing a 10-year agreement to continue making Coca-Cola products at the Truesdale location,” the managers said. “The plant expects to have  little disruption in its manufacturing and shipping operations as it transfers ownership. Both Coca-Cola and Refresco are working closely together to make the transfer as smooth as possible and prevent disruption to the plant’s ordering and purchasing processes.”

More information about the transition will be released as it becomes available, the managers said.

Coca-Cola’s Truesdale plant is a frequent contributor to community causes, often donating pallets of bottled water and sports drinks for community festivals, as well as making direct contributions for local charitable causes.

The plant is also a significant contributor to local tax bases through property taxes and utility fees.