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Closure in Ventura ends a century-long connection of Coca-Cola with the city, marked by industrial changes, worker relocation, and consolidation of operations in California, in a move that shifts a historic activity to other company facilities in the southern part of the state.
Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling will close its Ventura, California unit in the United States on July 10, 2026, ending an operation linked to the Coca-Cola brand that began in the city in 1912 and spanned more than a century of changes in the beverage sector.
Announced in May through a state WARN notification, the measure is expected to affect 85 workers, according to information published by SFGate and the Los Angeles Times, and marks the end of a business presence associated with the industrial history of the city.
More than the deactivation of an address, the closure interrupts a long-standing relationship between Ventura and the production, bottling, and distribution of soft drinks, in a cycle maintained by different industrial structures since the beginning of the 20th century.
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Coca-Cola unit in Ventura to be closed in July
According to the company, the last day of operation will be Friday, July 10, when the unit’s activities will be absorbed by other Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling facilities located in southern California.
Although Coca-Cola’s presence in Ventura originated in bottling industrial operations, the most recent unit functioned as a distribution center and was part of the company’s regional service network in the state.
Among the 85 employees impacted by the change, 78 are expected to be relocated to other company units, while the others may compete for open positions at Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling or in companies linked to the same group.
At the Ventura unit, the affected positions include drivers, fleet mechanics, sales promoters, and customer growth representatives, roles that highlight the location’s role in the company’s distribution and commercial relationship.
Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling reorganizes operations
Justifying the decision, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling attributed the closure to a periodic evaluation of units, products, and services, a procedure that, according to the company, seeks to sustain growth, innovation, and service to customers and consumers.
Also according to the Los Angeles Times, the decision came from a regular review of the company’s locations and services, with the Ventura operation being redistributed to other facilities maintained by the company in Southern California.
Presented on May 8, the WARN notice is used in the United States to communicate mass layoffs or significant closures, allowing employees and state and local authorities to be informed in advance about job changes.
Coca-Cola’s History in Ventura Began in 1912
Coca-Cola’s connection with Ventura began in 1912, when the first local factory was opened in an area near Front Street, starting a presence that would accompany the urban and economic expansion of the region.
Decades later, the operation moved locations and, in 1937, gained a facility considered modern at the corner of Seward Avenue and Thompson Boulevard, reinforcing the role of the soft drink industry in the local economy.
In 1953, the Ventura County Star recorded the relevance of this sector to the city, reporting that the operations of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company and the Nehi Bottling Company could reach, together, 3,500 cases of soft drinks in 23 hours.
This data highlights the historical importance of the activity in Ventura and helps explain why the closure has symbolic weight, even with the current unit acting mainly as a distribution center in the later stages of operation.
Closure is Part of Consolidation in California
In recent years, the deactivation of Ventura has become part of a broader movement of consolidation by Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling in California, where other units have also closed or had operations incorporated by nearby facilities.
In American Canyon, the factory announced closure in April 2025 and ended activities in August of that year, in a decision that affected 135 employees, according to information published by SFGate.
In the same month, the Salinas unit was also closed after more than 70 years of operation, with activities consolidated in a nearby plant in San Jose, impacting 81 workers.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling operates 22 distribution centers in California, including two production centers in Los Angeles, within a structure linked to Reyes Holdings.
Reyes Holdings operates in the distribution of beverages and food and began distributing Coca-Cola products in 2015, expanding its presence in a sector marked by extensive logistics networks and frequent operational reorganizations.
Local Impact Goes Beyond Jobs
For the Ventura City Hall, the change has community and economic weight, as the unit has represented for generations a presence linked to local work, the circulation of goods, and the industrial memory of the city.
In a statement sent to SFGate, City Manager Bill Ayub stated, indirectly, that changes involving local jobs are difficult for the city and highlighted the contribution of the unit and its workers over time.
Even with part of the employees relocated, the transfer of activities moves an operation that maintained direct ties with Ventura to other cities, reducing the company’s local presence and reorganizing distribution in Southern California.
According to the company’s assessment, the transition should improve its position for long-term growth and expand the service provided to clients and consumers, while Ventura loses a business operation that started when the local soft drink industry was still in its early stages.
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