I've been hearing rumors of this for a while, but I finally found something official http://www.berksmontnews.com/site/ne...d=552984&rfi=6

I'd heard September 1, turns out it's August 5. I haven't heard who we'll be getting oujr cans from after that point, Consolidated I would imagine until CCe takes over, if they ever do.
On a related note, I guess this is the end of Minute Maid Orange for us, since whether we get our cans from CCE or Consolidated, it will be unavailable.

tough to see it go. hate to see the indie's lose out.

Well it's just a few days before MAC closes. Is Central Coke still receiving MAC product? Kokomo Coke still was a week ago. It really makes no sense that CCE does not purchase MAC. Around here CCE Tri-States cannot can enough product. This seems to be true everywhere they serve, here in Indianapolis, IN and from what I observed in Columbus, OH this week. What I noticed were cans from (HO),(CN),(CV),(CP),(SL),(WP),(FL),(PA),(RM),(BT), (TB),&(PR). These were in fridge paks and suitcases. If CCE is already having this problem how can they adaquately supply what was Central Coke and possibly some of the indies left unserved when MAC closes?

Our biggest problem is getting enough Dasani, mainly the flavors and 24 packs. Our flavored Dasani is all produced at TB, cases come mainly from RM and some from KM.

One of the reasons why you may see RM and BT stuff out your way is that Cowan trucking, a Baltimore based trucking company that does a lot of business with CCE, makes runs out to TB and CN. So they probably take product out as well as bring stuff back.

They say a few companies were interested in MAC. I suspect one is probably CCE -- they have no production in PA, except for the Washington Dasani facility (former Cameron Coke plant). They shut down the Pittston bottle line when they bought Herbco, and I think the Ebensburg bottle line closed about that time as well (I'm not that familiar with western PA, to be honest).

Actually, the only other Coke facilities in PA are Philadelphia's downtown bottle plant (located in the same building as their HQ), and ABARTA's Bethlehem plant (which runs bottle and can).

The close proximity of MAC to Coke's Allentown syrup plant as well as the existing trained production workers would have to be two attractive features of MAC.

The plant could easily supply CCE's eastern PA facilities, as well as some of the stuff in western NJ, and take pressure off of TB, RM, KM, KH, and BT.

But you are right -- CCE production is already overwhelmed with the increases in volume and in the insane number of different brands each facility has to run.

I'll miss MAC. I always liked their use of the stronger Riverwood boxes, as well as the Coke cubes. I think they are much more attractive than the suitcases/slabs CCE uses. I do think is weird that they use those smaller pallets that only have 7 cases to a layer, while the rest of the bottlers use square pallets with 8 to a layer.