Coca Cola 2008 Annual Report Download - page 14

Employees
We refer to our employees as ‘‘associates.’’ As of December 31, 2008 and 2007, our Company had
approximately 92,400 and 90,500 associates, respectively, of which approximately 16,500 and 16,000, respectively,
were employed by entities that we have consolidated under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (‘‘FASB’’)
Interpretation No. 46 (revised December 2003), ‘‘Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities’’ (‘‘Interpretation
No. 46(R)’’). The increase in the total number of associates in 2008 was primarily due to an increase in bottling
operations activity, partially offset by a decrease resulting from the sale of certain bottling operations. At the end
of 2008 and 2007, our Company had approximately 13,000 and 13,200 associates, respectively, located in the
United States, of which approximately 85 and 1,300, respectively, were employed by entities that we have
consolidated under Interpretation No. 46(R).
Our Company, through its divisions and subsidiaries, has entered into numerous collective bargaining
agreements. We currently expect that we will be able to renegotiate such agreements on satisfactory terms when
they expire. The Company believes that its relations with its associates are generally satisfactory.
Securities Exchange Act Reports
The Company maintains a website at the following address: www.thecoca-colacompany.com. The
information on the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference in this annual report on Form 10-K.
We make available on or through our website certain reports and amendments to those reports that we file
with or furnish to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ‘‘SEC’’) in accordance with the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the ‘‘Exchange Act’’). These include our annual reports on Form 10-K, our
quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K. We make this information available on
our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with, or
furnish it to, the SEC.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the following
factors, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. The risks
described below are not the only risks facing our Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently
known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business,
financial condition or results of operations.
Obesity and other health concerns may reduce demand for some of our products.
Consumers, public health officials and government officials are becoming increasingly concerned about the
public health consequences associated with obesity, particularly among young people. In addition, some
researchers, health advocates and dietary guidelines are encouraging consumers to reduce consumption of
certain types of beverages, especially sugar-sweetened beverages. Increasing public concern about these issues;
possible new taxes and governmental regulations concerning the marketing, labeling or availability of our
beverages; and negative publicity resulting from actual or threatened legal actions against us or other companies
in our industry relating to the marketing, labeling or sale of sugar-sweetened beverages may reduce demand for
our beverages, which could affect our profitability.
Water scarcity and poor quality could negatively impact the Coca-Cola system’s production costs and capacity.
Water is the main ingredient in substantially all of our products. It is also a limited resource in many parts of
the world, facing unprecedented challenges from overexploitation, increasing pollution, poor management and
climate change. As demand for water continues to increase around the world, and as water becomes scarcer and
the quality of available water deteriorates, our system may incur increasing production costs or face capacity
constraints which could adversely affect our profitability or net operating revenues in the long run.
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