A stubby could be returned to any local bottler, regardless of its brand.

Every local bottler on the continent had posters and ads linking Coca-Cola with the Cup.

Remember, the American soft drink industry evolved with local bottlers who were part of the tapestry of each community.

Fortunes were made by local independent bottlers who were everyone's friendly neighbors.

At the industry's peak, in the 1920's, there were probably 5,000 local bottlers in the country.

Sales are down, competition up and Wal-Mart Stores is looking for a way to cut local bottlers out of its supply chain.

The effect is to prevent distributors and vendors from buying their soft-drink products from anyone but the local bottler.

But in 1980, the local bottler was probably a small, independent, third-generation family business.

Today, local bottlers tend to be part of a conglomerate spanning many markets and states.

The life of a local bottler has changed markedly from what it was in 1943.