Coca-Cola CEO meets with Costa Rica president on expansion plans

President Luis Guillermo Solís and Muhtar Kent, CEO of U.S. soft-drink giant Coca-Cola, met at Casa Presidencial Wednesday morning to discuss the company’s expansion here and an initiative to incorporate more diverse producers into the company’s supply chain.

Foreign Trade Minister Alexander Mora told reporters after the meeting that the company would expand a citrus juice facility in Costa Rica, and that talks would start next week to start to incorporate small producers and women producers in Guanacaste or the Northern Zone into Coke’s global supply chain at a “fair” price.

Mora noted that discussions also took place about adding Costa Rican coffee to the company’s offerings, such as Café Blak.

Coca-Cola employs more than 2,000 people in Costa Rica. Despite Coca-Cola’s decision to lay off between 1,600 and 1,800 people in the United States and internationally in January, Mora said the company is looking to grow its operations here.

Besides the company’s eponymous soda, Coca-Cola also produces Fresca, Minute Maid, Jugos del Valle and Odawalla, among others.

The trade minister added that a possible visit to the Atlanta headquarters of the soft drink giant is in the works for Solís.

AFP contributed to this report.