Fact check: How many manufacturing facilities does Coca Cola operate in the United States?

1. Summary of the results

The total number of Coca-Cola manufacturing facilities in the United States is complex and involves multiple independent bottlers and operators. As of 2012, there were approximately 900 factories and bottleries nationwide ^[1]. Currently, major bottlers include:

• Coca-Cola UNITED: operates more than 52 facilities across six southeastern states ^[2]
• Coca-Cola Consolidated: operates 13 production centers and over 75 distribution centers across 14 states ^[1]
• Additionally, there are approximately 17 facilities in the coke oven sector ^[1]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The question requires important contextual clarification:

• Coca-Cola operates through a franchise bottling system, where independent companies manufacture and distribute the product
• There's a distinction between manufacturing facilities and distribution centers
• The data from 2012 (900 facilities) may be outdated, as the industry has seen significant consolidation ^[1]
• Geographic distribution is important: Coca-Cola UNITED focuses on southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee) ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question oversimplifies a complex business structure:

• It assumes Coca-Cola directly operates all facilities, when in reality independent bottlers handle most manufacturing
• The question doesn't distinguish between production facilities, distribution centers, and other types of facilities
• Different sources might count facilities differently based on:

Whether they include distribution centers

Whether they count independent bottlers

• The time period of the data

This distinction is important because it affects how we understand Coca-Cola's business model and market presence in the United States.