Pepsi-Cola-Minges Bottling Group, Inc.

About Us

On April 2nd 1923, Mr. Miles Otho Minges and brother Mr. Luther Lester Minges both from Statesville, N.C. migrated to Greenville, N.C. and opened the Orange Crush Bottling Company with a capital investment of $18,000.00 in bottling machinery. During the years that followed the Minges became bottlers for NuGrape and Ski Hi in 1926, Cocoa Crush in 1927 and Jumbo Cola in 1934. In 1935 the Minges were presented the opportunity to purchase the Pepsi-Cola brand after the parent company was rebounding from bankruptcy in1923. Many years of resurrection pursued for the trademark and it was only after the stock market crash did stability finally come at the hands of two investors Charles G. Guth and Roy C Megargel. The newly formed Pepsi-Cola Company began franchising bottlers down the east coast. Never realizing the potential of the brand, M.O. and L.L. gambled on purchasing the franchise rights for their respective territories in Eastern NC. That purchase also included New Bern, NC, where Pepsi was invented in 1898 by Caleb Bradham. That was when the real legacy began for the Minges family in the Pepsi-Cola business.

The Minges family of M.O. and L.L., known as the first family of Pepsi bottlers, involved their children in expanding their territories and roles as business propelled growth through the 40’s and 50’s.
In the pursuing years M.O. and his sons Forrest, Hoyt Sr. and John F. Minges who managed their respective bottling operations in New Bern, Kinston and Greenville, became leaders in bottling and selling of Pepsi-Cola in their 13 counties.