HOLSTON BOTTLING COMPANY

After the Julep Bottling Company dissolved in 1940 their New Street location was left empty.(2) The Holston Bottling Company took possession of the plant in early 1941. The company is owned by Richard B. Taylor, Roy H. Jenkins, and James W. Chappell, but I don’t know what their positions would be.(1) They took over the Pop Kola franchise from Julep bottling, and have acquired the franchise for Rex Beverages which claimed to be the "King of them all" along with their own Holston Sparkling Beverages flavor line.

In June 1941 Bob Poole held a "Battle of the Bottlers" on his radio program "What Do you Know?" in the early days of radio station WKPT.(2) This bottler battle featured a team of five men from both The Holston Bottling Company and The Nesbitt-Fleenor Bottling Company.(2) These two teams would match wits under a barrage of questions from Mr. Poole.(2) No clue who won, but it is apparent that Bob Poole, originally from Stoneville, NC, went on to have a long career in broadcasting.

With the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 American entered World War II, and many bottlers were faced with rationing of not only bottling supplies such as bottles, crates, and sugar, but also of gas and tires as well. By February 1, 1942 Holston Bottling Company had decided, due to rationing of gas and tires, to start delivering their beverages by a spring wagon pulled by two mules. A novel way to try to beat rationing; however, it didn't really help what was obviously an already struggling company.(2) On February 14, 1942 the company was bankrupt, with an announcement being published in the Kingsport Times on March 4, 1942.(2)

This is the location of this bottling company at 206 West New Street

12oz Holson's Sparkling Beverages bottle variations both dated 1941

A Kingsport Bottling Company ad from June 2, 1941

6oz Rex bottle dated 1941

Rex Lemonade cap

12oz Pop Kola bottle dated 1941. This bottle raised a question that is that the Julep Bottling Company is no longer existent after August 30, 1940; however, here is a Pop Kola bottle with their company name on the back. Most likely the glass company didn’t change the name when they made this batch of bottles for the Holston Bottling Company who had taken over Julep Bottling Company’s franchise for the brand.

The picture of the wagon that was mentioned in the Kingsport Times on February 1, 1942

This page is only part of a much larger site. To see the rest then just click TAZEWELL-ORANGE.COM

Tazewell-Orange.com and the contents on this site are copyrighted by Joseph T. Lee III except where otherwise noted see Terms of Use.