The American corporation abandoned the idea of transferring to Ireland its manufacture of concentrated products, which stopped the reconversion of the site for its subsidiary Minute Maid.
Finally, Coca-Cola will stay in Signes in the Var. That is what the company announced last week. Last year, Coca-Cola wanted to transfer to Ireland its manufacture of concentrated products opened in Signes in 1989. A reconversion plan had also been launched. It was about transforming entirely the manufacture in center of fruit juice production for its subsidiary Minute Maid. A 300 million franc investment had been planed and the building works should begin during the second semester of 2000
This strategy was completely abandoned. In a release the company declared that in the situation of its recent organization, it wanted to 'maintain the Signes site as a strategic manufacture of concentrated products'.
'This decision leads to reconsider the mechanism formerly planed by the Coca-Cola Company which was dedicated to adapt the manufacture in Signes for the manufacturing of fruit juices in accordance with the international expansion strategy of its subsidiary Minute Maid. The Minute Maid fruit juices production will continue to be made in Europe by local firms that bottle and local manufacturers. The exploitation of the brands Minute Maid will be managed in each country by the Coca-Cola Company team. This decision shows the wish of Coca-Cola to take its different markets realities into account, and to save its industrial positions in France', the release ends.
This important change of plan allows to keep the statu quo in Signes. However the abandon of the reconversion might be regretted. The settlement of Minute Maid in Signes would have generated 300 million francs of new investments and create about 100 jobs more, in addition with the 200 jobs of the Coca-Cola firm in Signes. It also generated a 100,000 tons freight a year traffic in the port Brégaillon in La Seyne (Var).