Page 10 - Robeson Living Fall 2017

Pepsi-Cola: New Bern;

Coca-Cola: Atlanta;

Mountain Dew: Lumberton

What? By Neill Lee

perseverance played a major role in Mtn. Dew being the huge
seller it is today; without a healthy dose of both, it could have
been a drink that could have fallen by the wayside and never
been enjoyed beyond a small regional market and for a very
brief time. Read on.

It all began, according to one well documented version of the
story, with Hartman Beverages in Knoxville, TN. Hartman
Beverages was owned by the two Hartman brothers, Barney
and A.A., or Allie as he was known. When the work day end-
ed at Hartman, happy hour began, for the Hartman brothers,
the employees, and for salesmen who just happened to drop
by at about quitting time. Allie Hartman had developed a
lemon-lime flavored mixer that went so well with the abun-
dant Tennessee whiskey coming out of the hills that many of
his associates suggested that he bottle it to sell. He agreed
and after some discussion they jokingly decided to call it
Mountain Dew, from one of the popular nicknames for the
illegal moonshine that was so bountiful in those Tennessee
hills. Deals were made and around 1950 Tri-City Beverage
of Johnson City acquired the right from Hartman to sell this
new drink in the Knoxville area. However, it didn’t make
much of a splash and was not a success and at that point it
had its first chance to fade into history. Things didn’t look
good at all for Mountain Dew.
It is well known to most people that Pepsi-Cola was
invented in New Bern and that Coca-Cola was invented in Several years before, and not too far away, the Tip Corp. of
Atlanta. What is not nearly as well known to most people America was established in Marion, VA to market Tip, a
is the important role that Lumberton played in the devel- grape flavored drink which the new company hoped would
opment of Mountain Dew as a drink loved nationwide and compete well against another popular grape drink. About the
later worldwide. Although Lumberton cannot claim to be same time that Mountain Dew was not selling well for Tri-
the place that Mountain Dew was invented as New Bern can City Beverage, Tip proved not to be a success for Tip Corp.,
claim Pepsi and Atlanta can claim Coke, Lumberton still had which led it to be in serious financial trouble. One of Tip’s
a very integral role in the path that Mtn. Dew took to becom- original stockholders, Mr. Bill Jones, realized the trouble his
ing a famous nationwide soft drink. What is actually not well company was in and sought investors to refinance the com-
known either is the exact story of how Mtn. Dew came to be pany. Before he became a stockholder and manager at Tip
as, depending on who is telling it, there are several different Corp., Bill Jones was a salesman who for years had been call-
versions regarding who did what in the actual creation of the ing on many of the bottlers who eventually helped him re-
drink called Mtn. Dew. But there is little doubt that its path finance Tip Corp. Jones, from Mississippi, first worked for
through Lumberton played a major part in the beginning of the National Fruit Flavor Co. in New Orleans, selling flavors
its national prominence. It is also clear that much luck and to bottling companies, which they used to make their soft