The bottling company has been recognised for its leadership in community service and corporate responsibility during the Covid-19 pandemic
The international award recognizes those companies, organizations and individuals that develop socially and environmentally responsible projects
Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) has been recently recognised at the Communitas Awards in the category of leadership in community service and corporate responsibility, for its response to the Covid-19 crisis. This is the second time the company has won a Communitas, an award that recognizes exceptional businesses, organizations and individuals who are changing the way they do business for the benefit of their communities.
Covid-19 Response
Since its creation in 1997, ECCBC has been highly committed to its communities and the territories where it operates. That is why, with the arrival of the Covid-19, the company responded to the challenge by adapting quickly to the context while prioritising its people’s well-being.
The pandemic has had a significant effect on ECCBC’s business and way of working. Throughout its response, the company has made sure to put the health and safety of its communities at the top of its priority list. This meant that the company tailored made protocols to minimize exposure and maximise hygiene, while guaranteeing the continuity of business’ operations and service to its customers & consumers.
Through the efforts of its global and local HR, Quality, Environment, Safety & Health teams, ECCBC co-created solutions for each country and job position. Through constant vigilance and attention to detail, the bottling company believes it will be able to protect its colleagues and customers.
Besides that, in order to keep promoting mental health care, emotional support initiatives were implemented internally, to close the distance between its teams, ECCBC launched the ‘We are together’ campaign, connecting with its employees and providing them all the support they need to deal with the crisis. Thus, the company provided them with safety recommendations and organised conference calls with the company doctor to help them protect themselves and their families from the virus.
ECCBC teams were also constantly up to date with how the pandemic has affected the business through an OpenLine with the CEO and frequent messages from him, apart from having also sought to listen to its employees more and more, through regular polls and surveys. The African company has made sure that its support covers the full range of their employee’s needs, giving them emotional and wellness support, and sharing tips on how to adapt to life in confinement – from providing activities for their children to advice on how to exercise at home.
At the same time, with the aim of supporting African communities throughout the crisis process, multiple donations and initiatives were carried across all ECCBC’s geographies, impacting more than 1 million people in the continent. In addition to the direct donation to the Covid-19 response funds, the bottling company also directly supported through the provision of face masks and sanitary supplies to point-of-sale staff, the donation of products and food for frontline workers and low-income families, the support of medical equipment and other initiatives to ensure the health and safety of their communities.
Thanks to all the measures implemented during Covid-19, ensuring the well-being of all the people involved in ECCBC’s business, as well as the communities across Africa, ECCBC teams were kept safe and sound at all times.
About ECCBC
Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) is a bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company across North and West Africa, where ECCBC teams produce, commercialize, and distribute the world’s most-loved brands and a wide choice of high-quality beverages including Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite. ECCBC project started in 1989 in Africa with the concession from The Coca-Cola Company to operate in Equatorial Guinea. Subsequently, other countries such as Guinea Conakry, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and The Gambia, joined the venture. ECCBC was founded in 1997 as a new company to combine the operations of all these countries. In the last two decades, ECCBC has expanded operations to Ghana, Morocco and Algeria, and today operates in 13 countries in Africa and employs more than 3,000 people. ECCBC participates alongside The Coca-Cola Foundation in sustainability projects that focus on environment, improving education, access to drinking water, health and entrepreneurial spirit.
