Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company LLC announced that Charles (Chuck) Wyant has expanded his leadership role at the company with his promotion to president and chief operating officer. Wyant was a member of the founding leadership team for Heartland, joining the company in 2017 as vice president and general manager, and was named president in 2021. He came to Heartland with more than 30 years of experience in the Coca-Cola Bottling system, all of that time in the Midwest.
In his expanded role, Wyant will assume oversight of business operations and work closely on strategic planning with the Bridgeman ownership group. He will continue to lead sales, operations, finance, marketing, public affairs and communications, human resources, production, legal and technology (IT). The company serves over 25,000 customers and employs more than 2,200 team members.
“Chuck’s knowledge and expertise in our business is matched by his deep commitment to the people of this organization,” Junior Bridgeman, CEO, Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company, LLC, said in the announcement. “He embodies our foundational values of family, community, inclusion and service. We look forward to working with him in this expanded role as he champions continued professional growth for our associates and economic growth for our local communities and our company.”
Heartland is building a 600,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art production campus in neighboring Olathe, Kansas, scheduled to open and produce the first case off the line in late 2024. The new facility will expand current production capabilities and secure Heartland’s position as an anchor Coca-Cola bottler in the Midwest.
“I’m honored to represent and support our Heartland associates,” Wyant said in the announcement. “This is a very exciting time for our business as we continue to build our production and sales capabilities and further establish our leadership role in our local communities.”
