More Product Lines Appear
The Coca-Cola Company in general and Rock Hill Coca-Cola Bottling Company in particular continued to grow during the 1960s. Several new brands were introduced, including Sprite®, Fanta®, Fresca® and Tab®. The Minute Maid Corporation merged with the Coca-Cola Company and added frozen citrus juice concentrates and Ades under the trademarks Minute Maid® and Hi-C® to the Company’s already wide array of beverages.
Bottles and Cans
The contour bottle shape was patented. The famous hobble skirt bottle was registered as a trademark, only the second package to become a registered trademark in this country.
Coke bottles had long since become a cultural icon, but cans were introduced and became generally available in 1960. The first lift-top cans were introduced in 1964. Obviously products in bottles and products in cans require vastly different equipment and processes. The new product line and packaging caused the bottlers to investigate ways to reduce production costs.
Coke is a Constant
The 1960s were a turbulent time. The American Civil Rights movement, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War all led to social revolution and the anti-war movement. One stable entity was Coca-Cola. It remained the constant enjoyment in this time of upheaval.
The Bottling Line Is Established
The bottler’s association newsletter, The Bottling Line, was created to provide a vehicle of communication to the members on matters relating to management and Association activities.
Losses in the Mauldin Family
On April 26, 1969 Frederic Cecil Mauldin died in Tampa, Florida. Cecil had lived in Florida most of his adult life. He managed the orange groves and other business investments of his father.
Mayme Williams Mauldin died on September 13, 1969, eleven years after her husband, Mark. Her legacies of generosity, spiritual faith, hospitality, love of nature and beautiful gardens, the importance of family, graced the lives of everyone who knew her.
Rock Hill Coke Continues
Despite the losses to the family and the upheaval in the United States, Rock Hill Coca–Cola Bottling Company continued its quality service to its customers and its civic involvement in York County. That legacy continued throughout the next decades and lasts even now.