By CAROLINE BECK, Alabama Daily News
Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED recently hosted a total 25 students representing 14 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) for a week-long internship program at the company’s Birmingham, Ala., Montgomery, Ala., Baton Rouge, La., New Orleans, La., and Sandy Springs, Ga. facilities.
Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc., founded in 1902 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is the second largest privately held Coca-Cola bottler in North America and the third largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the United States.
The program offered the students firsthand experience in a range of roles available at Coca-Cola, including sales operations, productions, marketing and community relations.
“Coca-Cola UNITED is delighted to host these exceptional HBCU students for the week as they represent our future,” said John H. Sherman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Coca-Cola UNITED. “We hope the experience the 2018 interns had with us this week enables them to further develop professional goals and provides them with valuable insight as they look to their next phase in life.”
The internship experience is a part of the company-wide “Pay it Forward” program, which aims to provide young adults from HBCUs opportunities to celebrate students’ achievements and further their success.
In February, Coca-Cola reviewed applications received for the program through participating HBCUs, selecting 25 students based on their standout applications. The HBCUs in Alabama where students where accepted from include Stillman College, Talladega College, Miles College, Tuskagee University and Alabama State University.
For the past two years, 10 students representing five local Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in Alabama, where the company’s headquarters is located, were chosen to participate. The company expanded the program for 2018 to include schools throughout the six-state footprint where Coca-Cola UNITED operates.
If you want to learn more information about how to apply for next year’s internship program visit www.cocacolaunited.com in January 2019.
Coca-Cola UNITED has approximately 10,000 associates located in more than 60 facilities across six southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee).
Caroline Beck is a reporter living in Montgomery. Follow her on Twitter @CarolineBeckADN or email her at [email protected]