Acadiana Bottling moving to Broussard

BROUSSARD — Acadiana Bottling Co. plans to relocate from its longtime location on Kaliste Saloom Road to a new commercial development in Broussard, a company official announced Tuesday night.

Bobbie Smith, sister of company President Dennis Smith, told members of the Broussard City Council that the company plans to construct a new building on 14 acres of land in the Billeaud Companies Industrial Park Exchange, a 150-acre development on La. 182 and La. 96.

The distribution company, which stopped bottling its products several years ago, has been on Kaliste Saloom Road for about 40 years, Bobbie Smith said.

“We felt that we needed to get out of the hustle and bustle of the midcity, and Broussard is attractive to us,” said Smith, who handles real estate for the company.

In the mid-1990s, the company unsuccessfully lobbied the city to install a red light at its location at 700 Kaliste Saloom Road.

The red light would have allowed company trucks better access into and out of the property, Smith said after the meeting.

The business insurance company does not allow company trucks to turn left on Kaliste Saloom Road, which means delivery trucks must drive to the nearest red light, turn around and backtrack, Smith said.

“We can’t operate well where we are,” Smith said.

The new location offers the company a good highway system for the trucks to get to the road and go north, south, east and west, Smith said, adding that the company distributes products to a nine-parish area.

Councilman Kenny Higginbotham, who represents the area, questioned whether the business would affect surrounding homes, some of which are in the $700,000 price range.

Smith assured the councilman that the business “will not bother those folks.”

Smith also told council members that the company is planning to retain all of its 150-plus employees, who will spend their days in Broussard.

“So, they’ll spend their money here in Broussard eating lunch,” Smith said.