It was stated several times during a news media opening of the new Coca Cola manufacturing plant last week, that this is a “really big deal” for Billings. And indeed it is.

The nearly $100 million facility will employ over 100 people, including 50 new positions. The plant will bottle and distribute over 450 varieties of soft drinks and other beverages over a multi-state area.

Founded in 1956, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company High Country is a fourth-generation, family-owned bottler serving over 2.4 million consumers in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

M. Trevor Messinger, President and CEO of the South Dakota-based company, greeted Governor Greg Gianforte and numerous other dignitaries to the opening. It took ten years to plan and build the facility, which included broad community support from the Big Sky Economic Development Agency, the City of Billings, and Yellowstone County Commissioners.

“Our state is made stronger when companies like Coca-Cola High Country choose to expand their business in Montana and create more good-paying jobs,” Gov. Gianforte said. “We’ll continue to foster a climate where businesses can thrive and more Montanans can prosper and achieve the American dream.”

Montana-based design and construction companies completed the creation and build of the facility, including General Contractor, Dick Anderson Construction; Architect, A&E Architects and Engineering Morrison-Maierle, IMEG      

The full economic impact of the new facility will be far reaching for Billings. Part of that impact is the development of the infrastructure to its site at 1830 Harnish Boulevard, off the Frontage Road, where there had been none. The city council approved the extension of those utilities with the realization that they would make the area more attractive for other business ventures to locate, which is already happening according to some reports.