Coca-Cola will announce today a $30 million investment and expansion of its bottling plant in Milwaukee at 11800 W. Brown Deer Road.
The company is going to re-equip the plant to bottle its smartwater product, a premium, zero-calorie bottled water. Through vapor distillation and the addition of electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, smartwater has a distinct taste.
The Milwaukee plant will be the fifth Coca-Cola plant to be redesigned to produce smartwater in North America.
The plant also will blow-mold the plastic bottles for the smartwater at the Milwaukee plant.
The plant currently has 400 employees. The expansion will result in 16 new employees, with additional hiring expected in the future, a company spokesman said.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett are planning to attend today’s announcement at the plant this afternoon.
