The Mid-Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company has announced plans to close its Havre de Grace sales center in November, company officials said Thursday.
The center is staffed by 50 warehouse and sales employees as well as drivers, said Curtis Etherly, the company's vice president for public affairs and communications.
FOR THE RECORD - An article in Friday's editions about a closing Coca-Cola sales center incorrectly identified the county where it is located. It is in Harford County.
The Baltimore Sun regrets the error.
Some may transfer to other positions at locations in Baltimore, Hagerstown, Cumberland and throughout the state after it closes Nov. 23, he said.
However, it is too early to say specifically how many might move, he said.
"We are guardedly optimistic that a number of those employees will be able to pursue opportunities with other facilities elsewhere in the state," Etherly said. "It's too early for us to say how many."
The Cecil County center was at capacity with no opportunity to expand, he said.
"We have facilities elsewhere that are somewhat better situated from the standpoint of being able to accommodate additional volume," he said.
The center occupies about 28,000 square feet of space in three buildings, including an office building that dates to before World War II, Etherly said.
"There's no room to build additional warehouse space, no room to increase volume of shipments," he said. "It just made sense to look at how we were arrayed throughout the region."
However, Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region continue to be a "very vibrant and vigorous market for us," Etherly said. "We're staying ahead of the curve."
