When Coca-Cola made its first appearance in Abilene, the brand slogan was 'The Great National Temperance Beverage.' Today, employees at the two Abilene Coca-Cola facilities are doing their part to make sure customers get to 'Taste the Feeling,' the current slogan.

'Coca-Cola has had a presence in Abilene since 1904,' said Buddy Moore, plant manager. 'Over the years, the presence has grown to what it is today, with both a production and a distribution facility.'

Coca-Cola in Abilene currently employs 140 people, 115 of whom are front-line associates. The operation runs 24 hours a day, six days a week. One day each week, the production facility shuts down for maintenance and sanitation.

Moore said Abilene's primary role is to produce niche products for which larger plants in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are not as well suited. Abilene product is shipped all over the central United States, from far south Texas to central Minnesota.

'We are a very versatile operation,' said Moore, who noted that they have the capability to do a package changeover in less than one hour in some cases. 'They (Coca-Cola officials) come to us for the hard stuff that no one else wants to do. We stay current and efficient on technology, and our changeover rates are some of the best in the company.'

Moore has been with Coca-Cola for more than 40 years; it's the only job he's ever had. He started working in a small plant in Sherman and gradually progressed through the ranks to the position he holds today.

'I worked in the Sherman plant until they closed it in 1982, then moved to Fort Worth, where I worked for 25 years,' he said. 'When I started with Coca-Cola, everything was in bottles, and about all we had was the core products. Today, our plant is responsible for producing 355 SKUs (stock keeping units).'

With the help of the city of Abilene and the Development Corporation of Abilene, Coca-Cola in Abilene has been able to continually expand its capability. Since 2010, according to figures from the DCOA, Coca-Cola has invested or plans to invest $55 million into the Abilene plant, while the DCOA is contributing $4.7 million.

'In 2014, $9 million was invested to upgrade our syrup room,' Moore said. 'We expanded our can line capability in 2015 with the help of a $4.5 million project; that gave us greatly increased potential to run more flavors and packages.'

The DCOA also helped fund the extension of Enterprise Drive to allow the company better access to its warehouse. The conversion of Interstate 20 access roads to one-way made it a five-mile round trip from the warehouse to the bottling plant. Enterprise Drive has been extended to East Lowden Street so that Coca-Cola has a shorter route from the warehouse to the bottling plant.

DCOA Executive Director Kent Sharp says both the city and company benefit from the partnership.

'As they (Coca-Cola officials) get more competitive and decide which plants to keep, which plants to expand and which plants to downsize, Abilene's partnership with the local plant helps ensure decisions are continually made to keep upgrading the Abilene facility,' Sharp said. 'That's a win-win for Coke and the Abilene community.'

Since Moore arrived in 2010, the plant has increased production by more than 55 percent, from 14.1 million cases of product to more than 21 million cases in 2015.

Some of Abilene's most common niche products are NOS and Full Throttle energy drinks, Fuse teas, and Dasani Water. With current capability, the plant can crank out enough bottled water to fill a semitrailer every hour.

'All of our bottled water is treated to exacting specifications before bottling to ensure there is no taste variance,' said Moore. 'We take city water and filter it to its purest form; then inject a pre-dosed amount of minerals back into the water before bottling so that every bottle tastes exactly the same no matter which city you buy it in; and no matter which city it's bottled in.'

Abilene currently gets its can 'bodies' and plastic bottles from production facilities in Fort Worth and Big Spring. With an expansion currently underway to grow the plant by 22,000 square feet (at a cost of nearly $27 million), the plant will have the capability to produce its own plastic bottles.

'Currently, about 38 percent of our production is in cans; the other 62 percent is bottles,' said Moore. 'We are excited about the potential for this new addition, as it will not only allow us to produce our own bottles, but it will give us an additional production capability of 5 million cases per year.'

As 'the world's No. 1 most recognized trademark,' Moore said there is great pride in the employees of Coca-Cola.

'They invest in their people, their communities and their operations,' he said. 'There is growth opportunity, and they actively support career advancement. It is also a pleasure to be able to support and help fund community events like Toys for Tots, Keep Abilene Beautiful, and other charitable organizations.'

Moore added that the Abilene plant recycles 98 percent of the waste it generates, and is constantly looking for ways to improve its water and energy use.