Coca-Cola : Bottling a Icon

Larry Jorgensen 

“The Coca-Cola Trail”

People and Places in the History of Coca-Cola

Author background:  

Journalist with extensive experience in print (weekly, daily and magazines), radio and television news (both writing and on-air) wire service, assignment and freelance.  Publisher/editor monthly

publication.  

Currently researching and writing history related articles and books.

Also providing media services for clients.

Works from office at his home along a bayou in Louisiana.

https://www.thecocacolatrail.com

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio: Ariza Music Productions

Transcription : Vision In Word

Marlana: Larry Jorgensen is a journalist and author of the Coca Cola trail. He opened places in the history of Coca Cola. Welcome Larry. 

Larry: thank you, It's a pleasure to be here and to participate in your programme.

Marlana: Well, thank you, you know, brands don't get much more iconic than Coca Cola.

Larry: Yeah, that's true.

Marlana: So, what was the motivation for you behind doing all this research and becoming an expert in this? 

Larry: Well, actually, it started out not to be a book. I freelance writing. And one of the areas I like to write about his travel. I learned that there was a Coca Cola museum of sorts in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where Coca Cola was first bottle by the way. And I thought, well, that's interesting. And then I also learned that there was one not too far away in Monroe, Louisiana, which they kind of related. So, I thought, that's a great travel feature. I'll do a feature on two Coca Cola museums. Well, by the time I got to the second one, I had met people who were relatives, you know, heirs of the original bottlers who got talking and found out that this story is all over the country. It wasn't just in Vicksburg, or in Monroe. And I was encouraged to look further. And in fact, no one has really done a book about this specific area of Coca Cola, (the little bottlers, the people who got involved, you know, made it happen). earlier books are all about corporate Coca Cola, Atlanta, Georgia, tried a lot of support the bottlers and the people that found out I was doing a book, we're just very gracious to help and provide photos from their files and exclusive interviews. It was truly a great experience to do the book.

Marlana: And you know, I think that's one thing that we tend to forget sometimes, that behind any brand, there's just people and the stories of people.

Larry: that’s very true and coke has got such a unique story of people because, you know, you see why you go buy a bottle, or a can, or whatever, Coca Cola, but you know, Coca Cola didn't think bottling their drink was a good idea. And when Joe Beaton art in Vicksburg, first bottled it in 1896, he was selling the syrup, he had a solar phone, and he was using the syrup which would come in gallons, you don't make the drink at his phone. And he was also selling the syrup to other, he was a distributor to other solar phones. And he thought, you know, this is 1896 at Vicksburg, if I could get this to the people in the country, so they don't have to come to town, we can sell some more Coca Cola, so he decided to bottle, and he sent his first two cases to Asia Candler, who at that time owned Coca Cola and was making the syrup and Asia responded with it's okay but you know, I’m more interested in selling the syrup. And Joe got a little upset because he never sent the bottles back. But anyhow. So, it goes on for five years like this Joby Nardus bottling Coca Cola. As it turns out, there are two enterprising, here's our new entrepreneurs in Chattanooga, Tennessee, who thought, you know, Coca Cola is really a good drink, we get it at the local phones, maybe we can bottle it. So they go to Atlanta, and they talk to Mr. Candler. And they say we would like to get the exclusive rights to bottle Coca Cola. He told them that's ridiculous. He said, I'm worried the flavor will change. And he said, you know, and I told him, he said, bottling is a backstreet business. Is that No, I don't think we want to do that. Well, the two who went to visit him happened to be lawyers. And you should know it's very difficult to win an argument with a lawyer. So, they kept talking to him. And finally, he said, All right, I'll tell you what, you two go back to your hotel tonight. And you draw up a little contract. Bring it the morning, let me take a look at it. So, they do that. In the next morning with their contract and somewhat he said, I gotta get rid of these guys. So, he signs a contract to sell the exclusive rights throughout the United States to bottle Coca Cola except Mississippi because it was being done there. And he sold those rights for $1. And they say never collected the dollar. And he told him he said, If this doesn't work, don't come crying back to me about this, you know? So, what are these two guys doing? They go back to Chattanooga, and they're like, now what are we to do? We have $1,500 between the two of us. How are we going to bottle Coca Cola for everybody in the United States? So, they start a little bottling plant? And that's not the answer. Then it dawns on them. I think today we call on franchising, you know, and they said, Wait a minute, we've got the rights. Let's start selling little pieces of our rights. So, you know, if you want to do bottle Coca Cola in Raleigh, you know, you could buy a 50-mile territory, and it would cost you X amount. And that would be your area where you could exclusively bottle Coca Cola. Of course, you paid for the territory to these two enterprising souls in Chattanooga. And also, you were required to use the Coca Cola syrup. That way flavors the same. But the little proviso on that is when you bought the syrup. The two guys in Chattanooga got a commission on every gallon of syrup you bought. So, these told you that territory, but they were still involved in your business. And that is how Coca Cola really took off. It was all these people all over the country. At one point there were like 1500 little bottlers all over. And they bought the territory, truly invested in selling your product, that they invested their money to sell your product. Pretty neat idea! And that's how it took off. A lot of experimentation and bottling by these young entrepreneurs, a lot of mistakes, a lot of lessons in marketing. How do we get people to try this interesting new drink? It wasn't you know, people then we're Bottling orange, SAS, gorilla, you name it, you know, Coca Cola. That's kind of different way to kind of get them to try it. So, marketing became a big important mission for these new bottlers as well. They learned a lot.

Marlana: Because it was basically franchise, did they keep the marketing the same or each individual bottler had to follow certain marketing?

Larry:  I think they learn from each other initially. It isn't like Coca Cola Euro today where they sit down. This is what Donald shall do. But they learn from each other. They always were a close group, the Coca Cola bottlers, and they shared experiences good and bad. And they learned a lot. I think the biggest thing that all of them learned was you had to get someone to try a coca cola drink, because it was so different. And they would share ways that they did it you know that there was a Coca Cola bottler in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that after he made his first case of Coca Cola, took it to his favorite grocery store where he did business. And he said, I'm going to leave this case here. I'll be back in a week, and I'll pick up the money. Well, he went back in a week and his case of Coca Cola was being used as a doorstop. And he's mad doesn't work. So, he thought I kind of make people thirsty. Try my drink. So, entrepreneur, he bought a big 50-pound bag of salted peanuts in the shell. He then got the youngsters in his family to put the peanuts in little bitty bags. And then he went to the high school football games, and he sold peanuts. And he also took along his Coca Cola, and he figured out that for every bag of peanuts, he would sell that person would come back and buy two bottles of Coca Cola. So that's how he got people try it and other places. I could say there were bottling banners, you know doing the business. So, if a grocery store ordered a case of bottled soda, it might be For oranges and some lemon and, you know, root beer and whatever in there. Well, the viler if he was doing Coca Cola, he slipped a couple bottles of Coca Cola in there too. Well, pretty soon it caught on. And ultimately his grocery store, his retailer was buying cases of Coca Cola.

Marlana: Interesting. Do you know if the formula was basically the same back then? Or was it kind of up to whoever was doing the bottling?

Larry:  no, the formula has always been the same, except, and I always get asked the question, and I'm sure you're gonna go to Tom obg to it. Was there cocaine in Coca Cola? You know, the urban myth…

Marlana: right? 

Larry: Well, Coca Cola formula is made from the kola nut and the coca leaf. And it was developed by John Pemberton to relieve pain. He was the one that invented it. And he had been injured in the Civil War. This is back in the mid-1800s.

Marlana:  Because memory serves, they used to sell coke syrup for various ailments

Larry: yeah, and I've talked to people who said, Well, my grandmother tells me the story when she was a little kid, you know, they would serve like you say the syrup was used in that manner as well. And you still, by the way, can buy just the syrup. But you have to get it in like 10-pound bags or something. Some of them I think, Sam's Club and places like that. So anyhow, back to the story about the cocaine as it is. Well, the coca leaf when it was used for the Coca Cola syrup was not processed the same way that when they made cocaine, but Consequently, it had the ultimate Coca Cola syrup and a slight residual that was similar to cocaine because they use the coca leaf and Acer Kemmler got so tired of hearing Oh, it's addictive. It's got cocaine in it, that he spent literally thousands and thousands of dollars with chemists, pharmacists, whatever to make sure (this was in the 20s) that there would be no trace ever could they ever find a trace of anything that would resemble cocaine or anything like that? So no, there is not today and there really wasn't ever cocaine but yes, there is the coca leaf.

Marlana: Interesting. And you know, we found today that sugar can be just as addictive so

Larry: A lot of them you know, they use Well, cocoa has come out with as other brands no sugar, you know, right. And they've tweaked the formula to replace that sweetness, and Coca Cola I mean, the flavors and the different things that they try just with Coca Cola, not to mention their other beverages. I'm not a Coca Cola addict by the way. My latest Coca Cola love is their new Coca Cola coffee flavor. I don't know if you've tried it. 

Marlana: I have not, I didn't even know it existed.

Larry:  Yeah, they make it in three flavors. Mine I like Too Dark. I know there's a vanilla and I forget what the other one is, and it's in those nice long narrow cans and everybody's using now and its Coca Cola coffee. my favorite trick with it is I will open one and let it get flat. I don't drink the whole can in time anyhow. So, when it gets partially flat, the coffee flavor seems to come through a little bit stronger. So, I enjoy that. And I'm not real crazy about carbonation anyhow. So, Coca Cola coffee, but, you know, if you look at Coca Cola, they're always on top of the trends, whatever, not just the Coca Cola trends. But how many other products? You know, I don't know if you're aware or your viewers are aware that the milk product right now called Furr Life that's owned by Coca Cola.

Marlana: Interesting.

Larry: They bought into that company because they liked what they were doing and producing that quality milk. And they got so into it, that they bought the whole company. They've recently done the same thing What's the Powerade? It's a competitor to Gatorade, right? They had a small ownership portion in Powerade. And about two, three months ago, it was announced that they bought that out. And of course, Gatorade better watch out. Because when Coca Cola gets a hold of something, they start to promote it. And right, you may soon see on the football field, the big containers of power eight big poured over the coaches.

MARLANA: as you know, it just goes to show you that when you have a strong brand, and when you build a strong brand, you can branch off into other things. But what's interesting about Coca Cola is that all the other things that they've branched out into are still beverages.

Larry: Right? They have not gotten into aerial, you know, cookies and candies and all that kind of stuff with the other people that make refreshment so to speak you've gotten into, and I think it's interesting to watch them because you'll see products come and go with Coca Cola. I think a classic example. Do you remember the story of the new Coca Cola? 

Marlana: Yes! Yes!

Larry:  Well, it's interesting as to how that happened. That was about the time that Pepsi was doing the Pepsi Challenge. Yeah. You could sample two different unmarked beverages. Take a sip of each one. And which one would you prefer? But Pepsi was winning that competition? It was driving Coca Cola bonkers with that thing. So, Coca Cola, what's going on? And they determined that Pepsi was sweeter. That's why people weren't healthy. That's what people wanted. Well, the fact of the matter is that if you sample two different drinks, and one is sweeter, chances are you're going to pick the sweeter one. But in the long haul, are you going to drink a can? Or a bottle of which one? And it was the last thing flavor the enjoyable flavor of Coca Cola? And no, I'm not a Coca Cola employee. But that's what people wanted. And Coca Cola didn't realize that. In doing the book, I ran across stories bottlers would say that their salespeople who are their delivery men would be in the grocery store when the New Coke was out. And little old ladies would come up and threaten them if you don't bring back my coca cola... 

Marlana: Oh, that’s funny!

Larry: Finally, after two years of who knows how much money spent promoting the new Coca Cola, they realized it wasn't gonna go and they pulled you know, recently they brought it back for fun on Unlimited Edition just you know, memories, but they don't always keep everything. You'll see occasionally they announced a couple of months ago that they were pulling some brands that weren't performing. So, they stay on top of it, you know?

Marlana:  Yeah. And you know, you talked a little bit before about the container for the coffee flavored one. But talk to us a little bit about the original bottle.

Larry: Oh! That's a great story. You know, back in the when Coca Cola started getting pretty popular, cola was the magic kiddo. So, everybody's gonna say bottlers started making cola drinks. There was Coca Cola with a K you know, K Coca Cola, there was Chiro cola. There was one time I looked it up I found over 100 Different knockoffs so to speak using them to earn cola. While at that time, this we're talking about early 1900s bottles were an issue. You bottled in whatever you could find. So consequently, the consumer when he went to the store, if the bottles had Cola on it must be Coca Cola, and Coca Cola. So, wait a minute, we have got to deal with this. 1905 They issued a challenge to bottle manufacturers. We want our bottle. We want to exclusive; we're going to patent it. We want one of you by lawyers to create the Bible and they made a competition of there were six bottle manufacturers that entered the competition. In 1905. They had a meeting of Coca Cola bottlers in Atlanta to select the bottle while the one they selected was made by the root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana. And you ever go to Terre Haute, They are so proud. It you'll see it all over town that they are the birthplace of the bottle. So, they six monitors bring their bottles to Atlanta, the barber selects the bottle from the root glass company. So, Ruth gets the exclusive rights, they actually root patented the Bible. And it was I think about 20 years later, where Coca Cola was able to buy that patent from the Bible manufacturer. But the interesting thing, you've got six companies each brought five bottles to that meeting. After the wing bottle was selected, you had to destroy the other bottles. They were all supposed to be destroyed. And for Coca Cola, one of the bottles was to be kept in the archives, which it is and Coca Cola. The rest of them were supposed to be destroyed. But one escaped.

Marlana: Okay, let's do those road bottles.

Larry: it is Escaped And two years ago, it resurfaced at estate auction in California. And it sold for over $150,000.

Marlana: Wow. 

Larry: Yeah, we used to take vows back for two cents, right?

Marlana: Yeah. 

Larry: That bad. And the reason we know it was that bottle is on the bottom of it, it had the date 1905. Coca Cola never used that bottle in the bottling process until 1906. It was in fact a surviving prototype bottle. I talked to the auction company. Needless to say, they wouldn't tell me who bought the bottle locked up some. That's for sure. You know, so and no bottle collecting. It's like everything else would go call the people look at the Coca Cola logo edits on everything. I mean, you know, you name it, it's on there. And it brings that a warm memory that although and people collected there are Coca Cola memorabilia collectors all over the world. There, the national organization meets once a year to have a national convention and they bring all their memorabilia, and they swap and sell. But throughout the year, all the different little local state organizations will have the swap meets and you know, they'll be there swapping and selling and it's amazing the prices, they get, you know, if you get into that, obviously, there's been tones of reproductions. But if you look at Coca Cola will authorize a reproduction. But they also often mandate that it has to be indicated as a reproduction. If you find a Coca Cola trail tracker tray, a Coca Cola tray, and you think it's original, turn it over, look on the back and see if that's a repro, if it's not a repro, you've got something of real value.

Marlana: Interesting. So, when you're doing all this research, what was one of your favorite stories that you came across?

Larry:  I think, overall, my favorite story was the people. Yeah, was just the enthusiasm of the people for the product. And to say, there was one story and over there was a common thread, you know, what I would meet with the errors of the original founders, and they would say, well, grandpa did it this way, and it was so great. Obviously, there are fewer families bottling now because like every business, you know, maybe the fourth fifth generation says we don't want to do the same or they're made an offer by a bigger company and consolidation takes place. But the ones that we write about in the book, the families that were there in 1900 and are still there today, they have wonderful stories to tell that that's the thing, I think I found most was those stories and they're each is unique, but each has a common thread of love for product and desire to make a goal.

Marlana: So, if people want to read more about these stories, how do they find your book?

Larry: Well, the simplest way is to go to my website, which is the Coca Cola trail, don't hide made Coca Cola, don't feel bad calm. And the book is there as is a Second book called Return to the Coca Cola Trail. The reason that book is there, as after I did the first one, and thank you folks, it was popular and still is popular. I had people contact me and say, you forgot about, you forgot about the one. Tom there is. So, I started a list of forgotten boats. And that led to return to, so I made a list of forgot abouts. But I am now done writing Coca Cola books, but the two things I do occasionally... 

Marlana: You think?

Larry: Yeah, I think. There's a Coca Cola magazine that comes out once a month for the collectors. And if I see something of interest, I'll write a story and donate it to the magazine. But I'm on a different adventure now.

Marlana: Love it. Well, with that, Larry, I just have four final questions for you. First one was what was the best piece of advice you're ever given?

Larry: I think, The best piece of advice is doesn’t waste a day, make the best of every day. You know, we don't get any do overs. You know, in golf when they call them. You call again, a man like that was trying to think of the word, you get a ball again, and golf. You know, we don't get it. We don't get a mulligan in life. So, make the best, I also make the best of every day, you may mess up in trying to do that, but at least you've tried. So, I've tried to do that, I've tried when I get up in the morning to at least have a plan. And at the end of the day say well, did I make it or didn't I? But at least I tried. So, I think that's good advice for anybody too.

Marlana: I agree. I agree. So, share with us one thing on your bucket list.

Larry: My bucket list right now consists of another book. I have really gotten addicted to this one. To describe it, it's a book about a Great Lakes shipwreck and rescue. Oh! And it is the only one of its kind of this type to ever happen. it's almost been a secret. You know, you say Great Lakes shipwreck Of course it really says the Edmund Fitzgerald, which wasn't a tragedy. But this one is so unique, because not only was it a shipwreck, where in fact, the crew ultimately was saved after being lost and slow. And this is in northern most Michigan, where they get 300 inches of snow in the winter. Not only was the crew saved after being lost it almost freezing to death. But the cargo was rescued.

Marlana: Wow. 

Larry: What is unique? The cargo was 1927 Chrysler Automobiles.

Marlana:  Wow.

Larry: And how they got them off? It was a three-month project. We're talking about an area covered with snow and a boat that's offshore on a reef.

Marlana:  Wow, 

Larry: Sometimes I vacationed in Upper Michigan. This is key one-off peninsula, which is that little piece of sticks into Lake Superior. And I love the area because of the history there. And about three years ago, I was up there, and I thought I knew everything about the area. And I stumbled into this story about one of the boaters called the City of Bangor. And I thought this amazing story and I started researching it. And I found wonderful photos. And I started interviewing people. I thought of all the books and everything that's been written in all the maps of great makes shipwrecks. There's been 6000 of them. This is almost a secret. The people up there know about it, but it is really a neat thing, it appeals not only to people who liked to read about shipwrecks, but appeals to all cars, the vintage car collectors, because here's a story of 220, some 1927 Chrysler's that were rescued there. There have been other in those days in the 20s 30s when automobile was big, big-time production in Detroit. There were a lot of cars delivered by boat as a cargo and there is 1 down in Lake Michigan with a brand-new Nash's on it. This was two years after mine, so would have been 1929 and it went to the bottom And to this day, in the biggest Nash museum is on the bottom of Lake Michigan. There has never been… Getting into… And you wanna know about coca cola.

Marlana: but this is got to show you that there is so much history and so much stories all around that we might not know about

Larry: it is, like I say it just captured me because I have never had it before, so we gonna try those and share the story.

Marlana: Yeah, I’ll like to read that book: so, when the toy companies finally get around to making an action figure of you what two accessories would it come with?

Larry: well, I guess it would be… The two things it would come with will probably be a camera, you know, because I like taking my own pictures although I do a lot of searching for photos in museums, libraries, family albums and ETC. So, will have a camera and I guess would have… It used to be a tape recorder, now it’s a little digital recorder which is wonderful. You stick it in your pocket. Just recently was doing an interview related to this book that I’m doing on the boat. So, I set this still recorder down in the middle of a museum and there were large exhibitor in a museum and. We went all around the museum exhibit area and when I went back, I bet some of the student get picked up and it was wonderful. Todays technology, so, that’s why it would be camera and a tape recorder.

Marlana: Love it, and one last thing Larry, how would people find you? 

Larry:  well simplest way is, if you want the book is to go to my website cocacolatrail.com or if you wanna yell at me , if you have an idea, my email address is on there. But  also its glmanagement40@gmail.com and I will respond. May not tell you what you wanna hear, but I will respond.

Marlana: well, thank you Larry, thank you so much for being here.

Larry: well, I appreciate the opportunity Marlana and maybe we will come back sometime with a book story 

Marlana: Yeah, that’s sounds great.