Coke Florida Names New Leader for Company’s Field Franchise Operations

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida) announced Scott McLaughlin as Vice President, Field Franchise Operations.

Scott will lead Coke Florida’s territory general management and field sales organizations, inclusive of sales and merchandising execution with local and national customers, business development, and sales capability. He will also help drive ongoing business transformation with emphasis on the company's route-to-market evolution.

“Scott has been a key leader in the development of Coke Florida’s commercial capabilities,” said Thomas Benford, President and Chief Operating Officer of Coke Florida. “His move into the Field Franchise Operations role is exciting as he is positioned to leverage his experiences in capability development and business integration to enable strong execution and continued business growth across our marketplace. I am confident that his leadership rapport will also increase associate engagement and strengthen community partnerships.”

Joining Coke Florida in 2015 as Director, Capability, Scott has held roles of increasing responsibility. He served as Territory Director of Coke Florida’s South Region, which includes St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and the Keys. In July 2022, Scott was promoted to his most recent role, Vice President, Planning - Commercial Operations.

“I am honored and excited to move into this role and to continue working with the talented Coke Florida leadership and associates across the state,” said McLaughlin. “Field teams interact with and support our customers daily and are key to our growth and success as they work to strengthen customer relationships. When we are viewed as valued business partners with our customers, we can grow their businesses and we win together in the marketplace.”

Scott has nearly 30 years of experience in the Coca-Cola System, having worked in various leadership roles with Coca-Cola Enterprises and Coca-Cola Refreshments before Coke Florida was formed. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Findlay.

About Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC

Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida) is a family-owned Coca-Cola bottler with an exclusive sales and distribution territory that serves over 21 million consumers across 47 Florida counties, and includes the major metropolitan markets of Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Coke Florida markets, sells, manufactures, distributes, and merchandises over 600 products of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies such as Monster Energy. The company is the sixth largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Coke Florida is the fourth largest Black-owned business in the United States, one of the largest minority-owned business in Florida, and a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified company. In 2023, the company was named a US Best Managed Company, for the second consecutive year, joining an elite group of private companies holding this designation awarded by Deloitte-Private and The Wall Street Journal. To learn more, visit www.cocacolaflorida.com.