Coca-Cola Bottling Shqipëria (CCBS), has been operating in Albania since 1994 when the first bottle of Coca-Cola was produced in the country. Through the production chain and the local business network, a powerful company has been built up, with more than 365 direct employees.
However, its impact is much wider – it is the only official bottling partner in Albania and considering the size and distribution of the network, represents one of the main proactive players in the development of the Albanian economy. The portfolio consists of several strong brands, including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta Orange, Fanta Zero Orange, Fanta Exotic, Fanta Lemon, Fanta Lemon Zero, Sprite and Schweppes Bitter Lemon, Schweppes Pink – the most consumed beverages worldwide.
CCBS President, Mr Luca Busi, says: “CCBS is 100% Albanian. Naturally, we do cooperate with international companies and stakeholders, making use of Coca-Cola’s global network, but our search for human resources and supply chain partners takes place through local agents and involves the entire community.”
He reflects that when Coca-Cola Bottling Shqipëria entered the Albanian market, it was one of the first foreign investors in the country. “In this respect, we want to become an example to be followed by all those companies that want to invest in this splendid country, rich in excellence, which continues to follow a constant growth trend, and which has a very high development margin.”
‘Integration’ and ‘cooperation’ are the two themes that resonate most with the company, he further affirms. “We are an agile company that has managed to transform one of the most important global brands into a family business, ready to respond correctly to consumer expectations. Our team is motivated and ready to give more and more.”
Investing in progressive technologies
Luca Busi is an entrepreneur who understands hard work very well. “My journey began in the field when I was 15, gaining an understanding of the value of commitment, one made of sacrifices and doing without,” he says, explaining that after finishing university, he continued to work in the food sector, and later joined Coca-Cola in Italy.
He was one of the first investors in Green Mobility in Europe and has made sure that CCBS is not only at the forefront of product innovation but also deeply committed to sustainability and environmental protection.
Under his management, Coca-Cola Bottling Shqipëria is continuously and progressively implementing the most environmentally friendly technology. From the water depurator as an irrigator to the replacement of sales fleet vehicles with 100% electric ones. CCBS aims to raise awareness of how the “golden triangle” between institutions, NGOs and private companies can create benefits for the country and generate a model of sustainability.
In recent years, the company has invested heavily in innovation and new technologies to create a cutting-edge integrated management system. And the investments continue, with a view to further increasing efficiency while reducing the environmental footprint.
“We are in the process of building a second photovoltaic system in our plant and – based on the results achieved – are contemplating the construction of a trigeneration plant to replace all the latest generation low-energy consumption refrigerators while increasing the efficiency of all production lines,” says Mr Busi.
Reducing waste
“The goal is to reduce additional CO2 emissions and to cover 62% of our annual energy consumption using natural resources, in order to protect the environment,” he continues. “Currently, 10,680 m2 of the area of CCBS are equipped with photovoltaic panels, which achieves a 1,230 tonnes/year reduction in CO2 emitted. This is the equivalent of 46,752 trees’ absorption of CO2 each year.”
Other initiatives have followed with the support of The Coca-Cola Company, under the “World Without Waste” project. In 2022, CCBS introduced bottles with 100% recycled plastic (rPET), for all
brands in the company’s portfolio, in 0.45-litre and 0.9-litre formats. A dynamic bottle has also been introduced for the Sprite product, marking a move from its historic green packaging to transparent, easily recyclable PET.
“The most important goal is to become a ‘carbon-neutral’ company by 2030,” says Mr Busi. “It is there that the real entrepreneurial bet is played out: to become zero emissions in a set time frame and with a precise road map that will allow us to become pioneers in Albania; an avant-garde corporate vision that will succeed in becoming a model for many SMEs.”
“This is our greatest ethical commitment to consumers. This important date is already on the calendar: we are working very hard to arrive on time for the appointment which will allow us to demonstrate a truly incredible performance.”
Supporting the right values
“We need to start a new process of incentives and government support in favour of the development of a circular economy, just as we need to push on with a culture of legality, to allow healthy businesses to find a proactive context in which to operate. A common strategic vision is needed to achieve the objectives that will change the face of Albania” affirms Luca Busi.
In commercial terms, he acknowledges that in 2023, the focus is on the Zero products, which have great potential and continue to follow a major growth trend. Growth is also expected in the HORECA segment, an important part of CCBS’s portfolio.
Going forward, he affirms that CCBS will increasingly move in the green direction, with the aim of offering consumers healthier products, with zero-emission processes. “We are pushing strongly on the environmental policy with commitments adopted for the production lines as well as in plant management. We believe it is our obligation to support the values of environmental protection, social responsibility and the creation of wealth for the entire community.”
