Coke Consolidated unit to add nearly 300 jobs in Charlotte

Red Classic, a transportation subsidiary of Charlotte-based Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, plans to add nearly 300 jobs in the city as part of an expansion effort.

Red Classic, which is also based in Charlotte, announced its expansion plans this week. Spokeswoman Brooks Dauterive said Friday that the roughly 293 positions will range from corporate roles to truck mechanics, and be added between now and the end of 2017.

Dauterive said the expansion reflects Red Classic’s continued business growth since Coke Consolidated commercialized its trucking fleet in 2011, when it began transporting products for other companies.

In addition to the for-hire transportation business, Red Classic has continued to transport Coca-Cola products.

The additional jobs will be spread across operations in north Charlotte as well as Red Classic’s headquarters at 1800 Continental Blvd. in southwest Charlotte, Dauterive said. Red Classic also said it is expanding office space at the Continental Boulevard site.

The number of total employees the company has in Charlotte was not immediately available.

Red Classic said this week that in the past two years alone it has hired 462 employees, 150 of those in the immediate Charlotte area.

This story was originally published August 26, 2016 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Coke Consolidated unit to add nearly 300 jobs in Charlotte."