Coca-Cola Beverages Florida Names Thomas N. Benford, Executive Vice President and Assistant to the Chairman

Tampa, FL, May 17, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Coca-Cola Beverages Florida (”CCBF”) announced today that it has appointed Thomas N. Benford as Executive Vice President and Assistant to the Chairman, effective immediately.

“Given our planned acquisitions and rapid growth over the remainder of this year and next, we must prepare ourselves to not only transition and integrate the acquired operations, but to transform the entire business into a lean and high-performing independent bottler,” said Coca-Cola Beverages Florida Chairman and CEO, Troy D. Taylor. “Mr. Benford has been a trusted advisor to me for well over a decade, and he is a valuable member of CCBF’s executive leadership team. I’m pleased that he will continue to play a pivotal role as we build and transform CCBF into a 21st Century Bottler.”

Mr. Benford will serve as Executive Vice President and Assistant to the Chairman. In this role, he will oversee CCBF’s ongoing growth through the acquisition of additional franchise territories and operations, and will continue to support the Chairman’s office in various strategic initiatives. He will also oversee the strategy, planning, safety, security, real estate and shared services functions of CCBF. Mr. Benford previously served as CCBF’s Vice President, Strategy and Planning.

-Enjoy Coca-Cola-

About Coca-Cola Beverages Florida
Coca-Cola Beverages Florida (“Coca-Cola Florida”), headquartered in Tampa, Florida, is one of the largest independently owned and operated Coca-Cola bottlers in the United States. Coca-Cola Florida currently markets, sells, and distributes products of The Coca-Cola Company in Central Florida through seven (7) sales and distribution locations in Tampa, Lakeland, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Sebring and Spring Hill.

Following the completion of the North and South Florida territory expansions, Coca-Cola Florida’s operations will encompass the majority of the state of Florida. Coca-Cola Florida will then serve over 18 million consumers daily and more than 60,000 customers in the Sunshine State through sixteen (16) sales and distribution centers. For more information, please visit www.cocacolaflorida.com.