[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 23, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         100TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAREDO COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY

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                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2010

  Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Laredo Coca-
Cola Bottling Company's 100th year in operation. The Coca-Cola Bottling 
Company has provided Coca-Cola bottled products to the Rio Grande 
Valley of South Texas and the Laredo community for 100 years. This 
bottling company has accomplished a century of service to our community 
throughout the years.
  In 1899, Joseph B. Whitehead and Benjamin F. Thomas convinced The 
Coca-Cola Company that Coke should be sold in bottles, not just as a 
fountain drink. A few years later, in 1910, the Laredo Coca-Cola 
Bottling Company was established by Samuel N. ``Silas'' Johnson with an 
initial purchase of 51 gallons of syrup from The Coca-Cola Company in 
Atlanta, Georgia. The first address for the company was 2202 Montezuma 
Street. In the early years, bottling equipment was hand and foot-
operated, and one hard-working employee could bottle 200 cases in 10 
hours of work.
  In 1930, Samuel N. Johnson Jr. assumed ownership of the family 
bottling company and beer distributorship following the death of his 
father. Following the civic lead of his father, Samuel N. Johnson Jr. 
believed in the city of Laredo's potential to grow and prosper through 
innovation and team work.
  Samuel N. Johnson Jr. ran the Laredo Coca-Cola Bottling Company until 
his death in 1962. Under the terms of his will, the Company was held in 
a trust for two years and subsequently purchased by siblings Betsy 
Johnson Gill and Samuel N. Johnson, III, in 1964. Lamar Gill, Betsy 
Johnson Gill's husband, who was from a Coca-Bottling family in 
Beeville, Texas, took charge of the Company as president and manager; 
Betsy Johnson Gill served as vice-president; and Sam Johnson III served 
as president and sole owner of the S.N. Johnson Distributor and 
secretary-treasurer of the Laredo Coca-Cola Bottling Company.
  In 1973, plans were made to relocate the plant to North Laredo, 
moving the production end of the company in 1974 and the office in 1975 
to the Del Mar Industrial Park--where the company still resides at 1402 
Industrial Boulevard. On December 15, 1992, the company was sold to 
Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Tino Villarreal was appointed general 
manager, a position he still holds today.
  Laredo Coca-Cola Bottling Company has a long history of giving back 
to the community by supporting a variety of organizations and events 
throughout the area. The Laredo Coca-Cola Bottling Company currently 
has 98 employees and delivers beverages to more than 2,700 customers in 
four counties, covering 5,206 square miles. Many of the details of how 
the bottling business is run have changed greatly over the last 
century. From one package and one brand to more than 200 brands and 500 
packages, the company now offers a portfolio of products that promotes 
total hydration and an active lifestyle.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to have the time to recognize the 100th 
anniversary of the Laredo Coca-Cola Bottling Company. The Laredo Coca-
Cola Bottling Company is celebrating 100 years of service for our 
community and continuing its mission for South Texas.

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