The Shadow
Before Pharmacist Dr. John Stith Pemberton sold his first glass of Coca-Cola in Atlanta in 1886, Charles Alderton, a pharmacist in Waco, Texas, served his first Dr. Pepper to a customer in 1885.
Steven Grover Cleveland was President of the U.S. during both years, and in 1886, he dedicated the Statue of Liberty, and Geronimo, the Apache warrior, along with his men surrendered in Skeleton Canyon, Ariz. to General Nelson Miles.
The economy of Georgia received a boost in 1886 when Pemberton began advertising Coca-Cola in the “Atlanta Journal.”
While there is no way to accurately determine the financial impact of Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. has had on the U.S. economy for the past 136 years, one needs but to watch Coca-Cola’s Super Bowl commercials to realize the contribution to the television industry.
Today, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. has a net worth of $262.2 B., and the company has more than 700,000 employees and 225 independent bottling companies that it partners with around the world.
Keurig Dr. Pepper, a Fortune 500 Company, employees more than 27,000 and is worth $51.75 billion. Dr. Pepper was not nationally marketed in the U.S. until 1904, and prior to its widespread advertising it was known as a “Waco.”
Pharmacist Caleb Bradham who was born in Chinquapin, N.C., invented Pepsi in 1893, and he later named it Pepsi-Cola.
Today, the company is worth $262.2 billion, and the company employees 267,000.
Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola and Dr. Pepper continue to be economic driving forces in the U.S. where many other soft drink beverage companies sprang up in the 20th century.
Roy Allen established A&W Root Beer in 1919, and ten years later, Charles Leiper Grigg, owner of the Howdy Corporation in St. Louis, created 7 Up just before the stock market crash in Oct. of 1929.
The Grigg family retained ownership until Phillip Morris bought the company in 1978.
Originally, 7 Up was named Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda before the name was shortened to 7 Up.
Today, 7 Up is owned by Keurig Dr. Pepper, but it is distributed internationally by PepsiCo, Inc.
There are numerous other soft drink companies in the U.S. that employ thousands of employees, but none of the newer companies have surpassed Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. and PepsiCo, Inc. as soft drink non-alcoholic beverage distributers, both founded before the turn of the 20th century.
