Coca-Cola, the soft drinks giant, is said to be close to buy the North American operations of bottler Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.
According to sources, the deal is struck for about $15 billion including debt. If through, the move will reverse Coke’s 14-year strategy of keeping its bottling operations and main business of developing and marketing the soft drink syrup separate.
According to the source, the Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), Coke’s main bottler in North America and Western Europe, would now focus more in Europe.
C.C.E. sold about 41 billion bottles and cans last year, or about 16 percent of Coke’s worldwide product volume.
PepsiCo Inc., the second-largest soft-drink maker, agreed in August to take control of its two biggest bottlers for about $7.8 billion.
The takeovers enable Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi to gain about $300 million in cost savings and revenue. The acquisitions are expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter, PepsiCo has said.