Embossed pepsi slider

[firemun]

Hey Folks,
Drove down from Charlotte NC to right outside of Orlando FL to pick up the slider I bought at the first of the month.  I pulled in and saw a Sure Vend P 47 and an embossed VMC Pepsi 110 sitting in the garage.  The guy I bought the slider off of worked for Pepsi for over 20 years.  He said he had a collection of over 4000 pieces of Pepsi Memoribilia and is slowly selling them off.  He had a lot of really nice stories. He said the 110 and the P47 would be for sale soon as well.

Jeff

[collecture]

Didn't have your camera or what? I always like a story - tell us the best story!

[firemun]

No, I did not have the camera...and that was the first thing I thought when I pulled in.

Well one story that we always hear on here...about taking loads of machines to dump as bottlers swap them out are apparently very true.  That is where the Slider I bought came from and was on the way to the heap when he pulled it out.  It had been in his house since 1985.  He said it was his Kids favorite and now all of his kids were in college...their interest was now more focused on other types of refrigerated drinks.

I asked about some of his most prized possessions.  He worked out in Texas and New Mexico (I also asked about Dr Pepper stuff and he said he had several nice pieces but had already let them go) and Pepsi did a promotion one time on the Indian Reservations out there.  The manufactured some TEE PEEs that had Indian Chief head across the middle area and then Pepsi Bottle caps printed across the bottom.  Apparently they were really well made and very nice looking and only a very few made.  He had one of those that his kids played in all the time so he is keeping that.  He also related a story about a woman who is in upstate NY who is an avid collector.  He met her and has become good friends with her...and because he knows her passion for Pepsi items, she had gotten a lot of his most rare and special pieces.

He also came to be friends with folks from Vendo/Cavalier.  He had a story about he and one of the guys from Vendo/Cavalier going through an old bottler’s place that shut down and finding 3 spin top packed and ready to ship…that never got ship.  Machines over 50 years old (I am guessing) that had never been used.

Jeff

[SIGNGUY]

I can concur with the "We used to dump the old machines" stories. My Grandfather owned and operated 3 Coke Bottling plants in Central Wisconsin and one in Minnesota right after the war. He used to tell me stories and even my father about when they would clean out the "back room" and bring machines to the dump... It just pains me, but of course who knew there would be guys like us looking for them. Oh well....

[dr galaga]

Quote (SIGNGUY @ April 04 2006,11:35)

My Grandfather owned and operated 3 Coke Bottling plants in Central Wisconsin and one in Minnesota right after the war.

Do you know which ones?

Doc, I was wondering the same exact thing.
SIGNGUY, please give more details about the bottling plants.
Good question Doc.

[dr galaga]

Quote (Markito @ April 05 2006,8:53)

SIGNGUY, please give more details about the bottling plants.

Pictures would be cool too!  

All of these "old-timers" have some pretty good stories of how it used to be (I spoke with one fellow by me last year).   Sigh  '>  

[SIGNGUY]

Someday I hope to write up a little story about the bottling plants and the family history and post it on my site,,, just haven't made the time to do it. The bottling plants where owned by my Grandfather and 3 brothers. They originally opened and ran a bottling plant in Wausau Wisconsin right after the war with my Great Grandfather. Then one brother Ran a Plant in Pine City Minnesota with my Great Grandfather, then opened a newer bigger plant a few years later, One other opened on in Ashland Wisconsin and my Grandfather and Great uncle opened a bottling plant in Rice Lake Wisconsin (My home town).  It was a originally a 7 up bottling plant because there was a more of a need for a 7 up bottler in the area, but they also bottled Coke, Dr. Pepper, a few other variety flavors and a midwest favorite and my Families orignal recipe "Ol Smoothie" Rootbeer. Attached are photos of the original Pine City plant and then the newer Pine City Plant followed by the The Rice Lake Plant.

[SIGNGUY]

Sorry for rhe large pictures... but gives you a better look at the plants, the trucks and signage... You'll notice on the first photo ( the oldest) that the Coke Truck on the left also says Schmidt Beer on it.. They distributed beer back in the day as well! Pretty cool...
the family got out of the bottling Business in 1986, as my grandfather and brothers reached retirment age. Plus territory pressure was very strong from the Minneapolis area, and my father decided not to continue on the family tradition as smaller plants where starting to close due to the larger opperations. I was involved at the plant at a very young age, I worked on the bottling line once in a while at the ripe ol age of 13 ( I was the bottle inspector) sat and watched bottles run by to see if they where cracked, and Also helped with casing bottles when the automatic caser broke down (I still have the scars on my fingers from bottle cap cuts!)  I then went on to be a plant manager at the age of 16 till I was 19 runnng a crew of 5-8 guys loading trucks for daily routes and occassionally on summers would run a route myself... Great memories... alot of work... but something to look back on and reason for my "COKE ADDICTION" ... Coca-Cola that is!!!

Wow! Great photos!!! I always love seeing old vintage company photos inwhich all of the employees proudly stand out front with the vehicles and all. Really nice!

Great stories too. Wow, wish I had those memories. I'd even take the scars.