RAMALLAH, November 3, 2012 (WAFA) - In 1998, a group of Palestinian businessmen came together with one vision in mind: establishing a company that delivers the highest quality product while creating sustainable opportunities for the Palestinian people.
Now, 14 years later, the National Beverage Company Coca – Cola/Cappy is thriving, and leading the way for a new kind of business.
A red value tree is painted on the wall of the entrance of the company’s headquarters in Ramallah. Phrases such as “life is hope” and “success is a challenge” are written on the branches climbing toward the sky.
NBC is rooted in Palestine. Its red Coca – Cola logo is seen from Gaza to Jenin, representing the passion of a company devoted to spearheading economic and social development.
The National Beverage Company’s success story parallels the daily problems posed by the Israeli occupation, and the company’s ability to rise above the crippling blockade on goods, and free movement.
Starting as a franchise of Coca – Cola with 47 employees and one plant in Ramallah, NBC now employs over 350 Palestinians, with three plants, and four branches in West Bank and Gaza.
Since the company’s inception, it has grown five times in volume, with its market value climbing to over $100 million.
“Every year is the best year,” said Imad Hindi, the company’s General Manager.
In 2005, NBC acquired Cappy Plant and one year later, Jericho Plant. The company has become a trademark of Palestinian entrepreneurship, both in the local community, and in the international sphere of business.
NBC believes in Palestinian product, and uses local suppliers whenever possible. In the past years, with more than 600 Israeli roadblocks and checkpoints in the occupied West Bank, shipments are often delayed, prompting ad hoc decisions.
“Spare parts sometimes spend a year in the airport due to ‘security reasons,’” said Hindi. “The same parts imported by an Israeli will be cleared within 24 hours.”
The National Beverage Company prides itself in being what it believes is the most flexible supply chain system in the region, relying on creativity and determination to work its way through the daily trials of business.
In the past years, due to the restricting nature of the Israeli occupation, the company adopted a satellite depots concept. If a barrier restricts an area, operations will temporarily resume in available areas.
