The parent of Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Co. has bought an acre of land adjacent to its Amnicola Highway facility as officials look to its future needs.

“It’s a nice pickup,” said Gary Davis, vice president of the Chattanooga Coca-Cola operation.

Mr. Davis said the company will use the property at 907 Creekside Drive as a way to help access its raw materials more safely and efficiently.

The parcel is toward the rear of the bottler’s facility, where the company earlier bought another parcel, he said.

“It completes a contiguous operation,” Mr. Davis said.

David DeVaney, president of NAI Charter Real Estate Co., said the property previously connected to the Airgas-South facility was purchased by Birmingham-based Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United for $432,000.

“This expands the footprint” for the bottler, Mr. DeVaney said. “It expands the company’s commitment.”

Mr. Davis said a 7,200-square-foot building on the property may be torn down.

“It’s not a strategic part of the purchase,” he said.

The Chattanooga Coca-Cola bottling plant was the site of a $19 million expansion within the past couple of years.

The work at the plant added a new production line to meet surging demand for Powerade sports drink, officials said.

The addition permitted the hiring of about 27 workers at the site. Officials said at the time the bottling business would have about 230 production jobs along with 200 employees in marketing and delivery.

The sport drink is sold throughout the Southeast by Coke bottlers. The expansion project had added 36,000 square feet to the facility.

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