3/13/08
Sweat named manager for largest Coca Cola North America facility
Cathy Gilbert

Coca-Cola North America (CCNA) has announced that Manning native Tracy Sweat has been named the general manager of the CCNA beverage plant in Paw Paw, Michigan.

Sweat will relocate from California where he has been most recently in the role of general manager for the company’s Southern California supply chain manufacturing operations. Since July 2003, Sweat was responsible for the company’s bottled water plant in Anaheim, the regional distribution center in Chino and the Ontario Food Service Plant. Under Sweat’s leadership, these operations generated over $4 million dollars of savings to the Coca Cola system. Sweat joined the Coca Cola in 1997.

Sweat will take the reins of the company’s largest North American manufacturing facility and one of the largest beverage plants in the United States. The Michigan facility produces the company’s Minute Maid Juice products as well as the Powerade sports drink brand. The facility will begin production of the newly acquired Vitamin Water product, which the company purchased in 2007. With more than 500 employees and a payroll of more than $25 million a year, the plant is the largest employer in the Van Buren County.

Sweat was valedictorian for the Manning High School Class of 1986. Sweat has a Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech and an Executive Masters of Business Administration from the University of California-Los Angeles.

Sweat will relocate with his wife Michele and two sons Javaun and Devon. Tracy is the son of Gunter and Ethel Sweat of Manning.