A longtime Coca-Cola facility in Ventura, California, has closed after more than a century connected to the city’s beverage industry.
Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling closed its Ventura facility on July 10, affecting 85 employees. The closure comes after other California Coca-Cola shutdowns, including plant closures in American Canyon and Salinas last year.
The Ventura site, located at 5335 Walker Street, has now closed permanently, according to reporting based on a California WARN notice.
Most workers are expected to be reassigned
The closure affected 85 employees, but the company says most will not simply be out of work.
Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling said 78 employees are expected to be reassigned to other company facilities. Other affected workers may apply for qualified open positions at Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling or sister companies.
That makes the Ventura closure different from some plant shutdowns where every affected worker immediately loses employment. Still, the facility’s closing marks the end of a historic local operation.
Coca-Cola’s presence in Ventura dates back to 1912, giving the city a 114-year connection to the brand’s bottling and distribution network.
Operations are shifting elsewhere
Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling says operations from Ventura are being transferred to other Southern California locations.
A company spokesperson said Reyes regularly reviews its locations, products and services to support sustainable growth and innovation. The company said the transition should better position it for long-term growth and improved service for customers and consumers.
The Ventura shutdown is part of a broader consolidation pattern. Last year, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling closed a facility in American Canyon, affecting 135 employees, and a plant in Salinas that had operated for more than 70 years, affecting another 81 workers as operations shifted to nearby San Jose.
Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling remains a major beverage distributor. Its website describes the company as a West Coast and Midwest bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola brands, delivering products to restaurants, businesses, schools, convenience stores, supermarkets and other customers.
A local landmark disappears
For Ventura, the closure is about more than beverage logistics.
A 114-year business presence becomes part of a city’s identity, especially when it is tied to one of the most recognizable brands in the world. The facility’s final day has now come and gone, ending that connection in its current form.
Coca-Cola products will continue reaching California customers, but they will no longer move through this historic Ventura site.
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