The Coca-Cola Company

(NYSE: KO · $89.79 ▲ 2.0%) The Coca-Cola Company is an Atlanta-rooted beverage company whose portfolio spans more than 200 brands, from sparkling soft drinks to water, sports drinks, juice, tea and coffee. The company traces its origins to May 8, 1886, when the first glass of Coca-Cola was poured at Jacobs' Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta, and about nine drinks per day were served in its first year. The company now describes itself as evolving into a Total Beverage Company, a shift that reflects a broader industry move away from reliance on a single flagship soda toward categories such as hydration, dairy and ready-to-drink coffee.

The company's lineup includes Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, smartwater, Dasani, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak, Minute Maid, Simply and fairlife. The portfolio also includes Aquarius, Del Valle, Ayataka, I LOHAS, Thums Up, Maaza, Ciel, Fuze Tea and Schweppes, alongside Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, vitaminwater and Fresca. A portfolio this broad lets a beverage company address different tastes, occasions and price points without depending on any one product.

The company operates as a global business on a local scale through the Coca-Cola system, a supply chain comprising the company and its bottling partners worldwide. In this model, the brand owner typically manages brands, marketing and concentrates, while bottlers handle production and local distribution, which explains how one company can reach so many markets. Across that global system, the company and its bottling partners employ 700,000 people. The company states a purpose to refresh the world and make a difference, and its sustainability work covers areas such as more sustainable packaging, refillable bottles and access to safe water in local communities.