Awarded to The Company's best performing division in the world
United Arab Emirates: The Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Business Unit of The Coca-Cola Company was declared the winner of the 2012 Woodruff Cup in a ceremony Sunday night in recognition of the division's outstanding performance last year. With double digit growth rates recorded across the Business Unit, which also includes Pakistan and parts of West Africa, the MENA team came out ahead of ten other accomplished finalists, including ASEAN, Canada, India & South West Asia, Japan, Latin Center, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine & Belarus, South Africa, South Latin, and Turkey, Caucasus & Central Asia.
The Robert W. Woodruff Cup, named for Coca-Cola's longtime leader, is the Company's most prestigious operating award, honoring the top-performing business unit in the worldwide Coca-Cola business system, and particularly the one which most directly connects its efforts and results to the short and long-term goals of the business.
Middle East & North Africa Business Unit President Curt Ferguson accepted the award from The Coca-Cola Company's Chairman and CEO, Muhtar Kent, and said, "While this award recognizes the achievements of the entire Cocoa-Cola system in MENA - including our bottling partners, customers, suppliers, and retailers who deliver refreshment and moments of happiness to hundreds of millions of consumers every single day - it also highlights the vibrant potential of this region. We are proud that our business not only contributes to the economic growth of each market but also how it supports the communities in which we operate."
The Middle East region, spanning 11 countries including the GCC and Levant areas including Iraq focused on youth and water conservation. The launch of a successful water conservation program in line with the Company's aim to be water neutral by the year 2020 was one of the highlights for the regional hub. The program, appropriately named 'Every Drop Matters', was launched in 6 countries in 2011, and impacts an astonishing 139 000 beneficiaries.
The Woodruff Cup was first introduced in the Coca-Cola system in 1983, when Robert Woodruff and the Coca-Cola Company decided to give an award to their most outstanding division from the Company's 25 worldwide divisions. The original cup, which was produced by Estes-Simmons, is cast bronze, silver plated, and stands on a black lacquered wooden base. The original is on display at the Coca-Cola Worldwide headquarters in Atlanta.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or check out our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.
© Press Release 2013
