Over 500 guests attended the celebration of Coca-Cola's 125th birthday in Sofia, including Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, US Ambassador James Warlick, and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova (all visible in the back). Photo from Manager magazine Coca-Cola Hellenic has announced new investments in Bulgaria's capital Sofia amidst the celebrations of Coca-Cola's 125th birthday.

Sofia has been selected from among 14 other cities in Europe for the setting up of a United Center for Human Resource and Financial Services of Coca-Cola; the center will be opened in the fall of 2011, and will employ 200 Bulgarians.

Over 500 guests including clients, partners, journalists, and senior government officials attended the large-scale birthday party organized by Coca-Cola Hellenic in the Bulgarian National History Museum in Sofia Thursday night, including Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, US Ambassador James Warlick, and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova.

Warlick himself announced another Coca-Cola investment in Bulgaria – over EUR 2 M will be invested in the construction of a new mineral water drill in Bankya, a Sofia quarter, to replace an existing facility. Once the water concession is over, the new facility will be donated to the Bulgarian state.

The guests of the Coca-Cola birthday party had the chance to witness presentations of key moments of the history and development of Coca-Cola, including the discovery of the recipe for the drink in 1886 by John Pemberton.

Bulgaria is the first country in the former Communist bloc where Coca-Cola has been produced – since 1965. The representative offices of Coca-Cola formally enter Bulgaria in 1992.

Coca-Cola has three plants in Bulgaria – in Bankya, Kostinbrod, and Targovishte. It employs directly 1 300 people in Bulgaria, and is the largest soft drinks producer in the country.