Has Wealth Of History
dv iPTfiB nw rnofis
pharmacist and druggist
irst produced the
Coca-Cola Syrup in a three^
egged pot to fate backyard.
« sale for S cents as a soda
ountain drink. This first
ale was in Atlanta, Ga. at
he Jacob’s Pharmacy.
Dr. Pemberton had a
artner, Frank M.
iobinson who suggested
Ihe name Coca-Cola and
penned it in the script of the
Jay, the flowing
Spencerian. The first
newspaper to run an ad for
Eoca-Cola was the Atlanta
Journal on May 29, 1886. It
Jtated, “Try the new and
Jopular soda fountain
Jrink. Coca-Cola is
Jtelicious and Refreshing."
I For the first eight
booths of the drink’s life
Jales averaged 13 per day.
■Today the product sales
jiore^ than 165,000,000
Dr. Pemberton
1: to expand his
gnood the South
Bold two^ thirds^of’thfbJT
Bess interest to two of his
his included the sole right
rpouMmantlu beforeTte
■eaUi on^August 16, 1888,
tfiremaining rights to the
product Asa G. Candler
Eventually acquired
complete control. He
figured that total
ownership had coot him
$2,300.
With a flair for merchan
dising by 1882 Candler had
increased sales nearly
ten-fold. Along with his
brother Attorney John S.
Candler, F.M. Robinson
and two other friends, the
interest was formed into a
Georgia Corporation with a
capital stock of $100,000. vv
Coca-Cola was registered
in the United States Patent
Office on January 31, 1893.
The same year the first -
dividend was paid to stock
holders at $20 per share,
which amounted to 20 per
cent of" book value of the
share m stock.
No doubt Candler’s gross
use of advertising gave
favorable recognition to
the logo of Coca-Cola. He
gave away thousands of
complimentary tickets for
free glasses of the drink.
He carried on consistent
promotion programs such
as giving away souvenir
fans, calendars, clocks,
urns and countless novel
ties.
While Candler concen
trated on increasing soda
fountain sales, others like
Joseph A. Biedenham in
Vicksburg, Miss, bad other
ideas. Impresesd with the
demand of the drink
Biedenharn installed a
bottling machinery in the
rear of the store and began
to take bottles of Coca-Cola
around to plantations and
lumber camps. He became
thciirst man to put Coca
Cola in bottles.
The same year the first
syrup branch manufac
turing plant was opened in
Dallas, Texas. The next
year branch plants were
opened in Chicago and Los
Angeles. Three years after
Candler had - purchased
sole ownership of the
company. In, 1895, he
announced in his annus]
report to stockholders that
“Coca-Cola is now drank in
every state and territory in
the United States."
The large scale bottling
of Coca-Cola was made
possible by Benjamin F.
Thomas and Joseph B.
Whitehead. They secured
from Candler in 1899 the
exclusive rights to bottle
and sell Coca-Cola in pract
ically the entire Unites
States. The first bottling
plant under this contract
was opened in Chatta
nooga, in 1899. and the
second in Atlanta, the
following year.
In 30 years the first two
plants had increased to
1,000. Ninety-five percent
was locally owned and
operated. The development
of modern, high speed
bottling machinery and
efficient transportation
over paved highways,
reduced this number by
1973 through consolidations
and mergers to 750 plants
in the U.S.
By 1900 Coca-Cola was
served ata soda fountain in
London for the first time. A
this time Cuba and Puerto
Rico also enjoyed the taste.
The unique shape design
and contour of the Coca
Cola bottle was granted
registration as a
trademark by the U.S.
Patent Office in 1960. The
bottle thus joined the two
cither trademarks, Coca
Cola, registered in 1893 and
Coke first used on labels in
1941 and registered in 1945.
In 1919 the Coca-Cola
company was sold by the
Candler interest to Ernest
Woodruff, an Atlanta
Banker and a group he has
organized for 995,000,000.
Common stock was put on
public sale for 940 a share.
Robert Winship
Woodruff, son of Ernest
was elected president of
the Coca-Cola company fan
19B, At 33 years of age be .
envisioned an international
drink. In 1W be gave
tangible form to his vision
by organizing a Foreign
Sales Department, later to
become a subsidiary, The
Coca-Cola Export Corpora
tion. His leadership carried
Coca-Cola to the outposts of
civilization.
Also with the assistance
of leading bottlers, his
management defined
quality standards to apply
to every phase of the
bottling operation.
Renewed advertising and
marketing force were
thrown behind the bottle.
An easy to carry case with
six bottles was formed in
1923. By the end of 1928,
five years after Woodruff
became president, the sale
of Coca-Cola in bottles had
increased 65 per cent. For
the first time bottle sales
exceeded sales at the soda
fountain.
To meet consumer
demand bottles of Coke
was produced in 10, 12, 32,
and 48 ounce sizes. Another
new container, no-deposit,
no returnable bottles was
introduced in 1961. Then a
plasti-shield bottle was
introduced.
Woodruff’s leadership
through the years has
brought the product to
unrivaled heights. He
retired as an officer in 1966
but continued to give
leadership to the business s
a Director and Chairman of
the Board’s Finance
Committee.
(Facts from “The
Chronicle of Coca-Cola
since MB.”) I
COKE $119 SHUREFRESH BREAD
2 liter 2 Ig. loaves OO*
■ . ■ -fr...
COKE */* 199 BORDENS MILK
16 oz. Rat. gal. *|*»
??K£ „ . MILLER ats. j.
16 oz. Rat. bottles & cans 99
BIG MAN BEER aa(
qts. ww'
COUNTRY CLUB $419
6 pk. 16 oz. ^
ANDRE $499
fifths M
2928 Rozzells Ferry Rd. II
We Gladly Accept Food Stamps
Open 7 am until I am Everyday
Dennis McElrath has been employed at Coca-Cola for
- the past three years. He Is Ml serviceman and nils
and installs coolers. McElrath is a Chariottean.
nMBUnMI THE CHARLOTTE POST WHlilfH—iWiTHCai