
In first-quarter numbers, released in May, net sales rose by almost 17%, while net profits were down by just over 9%, due to costs relating to expanding its franchise area. The Coca-Cola bottler has been increasing its footprint since The Coca-Cola Co decided in 2013 to separate its business and bottler arms in North America. Consequently, the Q1 results included $1.2m of after-tax expenses related to the moves.