Gateway Arch Park Foundation’s work would not be possible without the support of our community, including committed corporate partners like Heartland Coca-Cola.

Their generosity enables the Foundation to produce free community events like Blues at the Arch and Winterfest, where people gather and connect with place—including their city and Gateway Arch National Park—and each other. That, in itself, is core to Heartland Coca-Cola’s mission to be a positive influence and active participant in the communities in which they operate, making this home-grown, independent bottler a perfect partner to support the Foundation’s own mission.

Our team had the opportunity to catch up with Matt Bynum, general manager at Heartland Coca-Cola, to hear about what our hometown national park and our city means both to him and his team.

Do you have any memories of visiting the Arch grounds?
“I was born and raised in Oklahoma, but grew up hearing about the Arch, like everyone else. You hear about it and think it’s cool, but those thoughts pale in comparison to what being in the shadow of the Arch is really like. The first time you see it, you’re in awe—the entire background fades away and you get to witness how grand the monument really is. I still remember driving into town with my two boys for the first time and being shocked by its beauty. The Arch is always at the top of the list for our friends and family when they visit. It’s amazing to hear people think of it as a destination, a marker of our hometown, and a beacon of growth for the city.”

How did this partnership come to be?
“I remember walking downtown with Ryan [McClure] while we discussed what a partnership might look like. We walked from Kiener Plaza to the Old Courthouse to the state-of-the-art museum, and I was immediately struck by how well preserved these spaces were and how much truth was contained in just a few blocks downtown. I knew we had to support this work, and that this was one sponsorship our employees would be excited to engage with.”

Why is partnering with Gateway Arch Park Foundation a meaningful opportunity for Heartland Coca-Cola?
“I’ve been with Coca Cola for 30 years and can tell you that there are some amazing value connections with Gateway Arch Park Foundation. Heartland Coca Cola is locally owned and operated, and our owner, Justin Bridgerman holds the same values of local education and community building—we really believe in this mission. I run all of St. Louis’ operations, and I can tell you, our team is homegrown. It is incredibly important to us that we are all active participants in where we live and that we are proud of our community."

"We want to be active in the community. Our partnership with Gateway Arch Park Foundation gives our employees the opportunity to go downtown and serve, especially for projects like the riverfront cleanup. The Foundation gives Heartland Coca Cola the ability to walk the talk and invest in community care and the future of St. Louis. On top of volunteer opportunities, it is important to us that the Foundation is actively preserving history—man, if those Old Courthouse walls could talk. This partnership connects our entire workforce to important St. Louis preservation and educational experiences—and more importantly, a sense of St. Louis pride."

What does the Gateway Arch mean to your employees?
“Our partnership is important for employee engagement. You live here, you work here, and you connect here. Lots of people think about the Arch as just a monument, but there’s so much more underneath that. The Arch is a uniting space that makes St. Louis experiences larger than life for our employees. We have folks that come to work from over a 70-mile radius and don’t have many chances or information about what to do downtown or how to be in service of our space. Our employees love the programs like Picnic in Your Park and Blues at the Arch because they feel different. We get sent photos of our team down at the North Gateway with their lawn chairs, relaxing and taking in the blues sounds with family and hundreds of other locals—that’s what it’s about for us.”

We are grateful to Heartland Coca-Cola for their continued partnership. Learn more about Heartland Coca-Cola at heartlandcocacola.com.

Interested in exploring a deeper partnership with Gateway Arch Park Foundation? Contact Chris Casey, Manager of Institutional Partnerships, at chris.casey@archpark.org to learn more about the benefits of corporate partnership.