Written in a local Scottsboro newspaper article in 1980, we find the grand opening of the “new” Scottsboro facility:

New Sales Center for Scottsboro, AL!

Although the new sales center in Scottsboro began operations in late 1980. After the merger of the former plant in Fort Payne, everyone waited until the 40,000-sq.-ft . facility was in perfect working order before holding a community-wide grand opening this summer.

Mr. Crawford is manager with a record 33 successful years in the Coca-Cola industry. Mr. Crawford, manager of the Scottsboro Center, gets a helping hand from daughter in at the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mr. Johnston, Jr., chairman of the Board of the Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Company, was one of the speakers at the grand opening. At his right hand is Henry Stringer, assistant manager and former manager of the Fort Payne operation with 20 years to his credit.

Opening ceremonies proved to be a major local success. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by city officials as well as top management of the Johnston company. While manufacturing is done in Cleveland, TN, the center distributes product to a large territory, including all of Jackson and DeKalb counties and parts of Marshall and Cherokee counties in Alabama, plus a small portion of a contiguous Georgia area.

The franchise has been in operation since Crawford, who has been in the Coca-Cola bottling business for over 33 years, is proud of the sales progress and the new distribution center in Scottsboro. The burgeoning Home Market opportunities in the Scottsboro area is this Warehouse Groceries outlet, serviced here by Homer Roberts of the sales center. 

In 1912, and being very traditional in terms of its population’s tastes, the old familiar 6 1/2-oz. bottle continues to be the main item in vending machines. But in the Home Market, larger packages, particularly the 32-oz. returnable and the2-liter, dominate sales. “In all the time I’ve been here,” says Crawford, “I’ve only seen one year, back in 1965, when we had even a small sales decrease, and that was when we finally moved away from the nickel drink. As for 1981, in the first half of the year, we’re showing a very respectable sales increase over last year . .. as usual .”

2014 . . . Welcome Scottsboro Coca-Cola to the Coca-Cola UNITED Family! Click here to read the press release!