Consolidated deliveries reached Alamogordo in the late 1940s.  Bob Callaway's remembered that Pepsi, Coke, and Crystal flavors were all available in Alamogordo at the same time.  Since Crystal Beverage Co. [Link] was in business no later than 1949, the drinks were only simultaneously available for a short time.  It is also obvious (see below) that other drinks were available in the town.

     Apparently, a Royal Crown distributor also came to town about the same time as Consolidated.  In the December 25, 1947 issue of the News, R. F. Douglas, distributor for the Royal Crown Bottling Company advertised his “Appreciation at Christmastime.”  Douglas greeted his customers with: “Arrival of the Christmas Season reminds us of our obligations to the fine people of this community.  We appreciate the excellent treatment we have received and take this means of sending our Greetings to each of you.”  The following year, Grapette was advertised in the Alamogordo News.  The first ad (March 18, 1948) proclaimed “IT’S HERE!”  It continued: “You can get in now–one of the best soft drinks you ever tasted!  You won’t have to learn to like it!  Yo won’t have to be thirsty to enjoy it!”  Unfortunately, the ad failed to identify the local distributor. 
 

Alamogordo News  - December 25, 1947	Alamogordo News  - March 18, 1948

     At that time, a consolidated route salesman left Roswell with a loaded truck early in the morning and drove to Alamogordo.  Once in town, he serviced all his stops and then was faced with the long drive back.  One driver confided that he was so tired on the return trip that he frequently had to stop and take a nap along the side of the road.  By 1958 Consolidated had hired a salesman who took care of local business from 809 Fourth St. in Tularosa. [Tularosa, a small village thirteen miles north of Alamogordo, was permanently settled about 1862.  Although the settlement survived the rigors of Apache raids and water scarcity, its development never matched its southern neighbor, Alamogordo ( Lovell 1963:12-13; Sonnichsen 19601:1-15; Towndsend 1984:22-27).]  Advertisements in the telephone directory described Consolidated as "Bottlers of Pepsi Cola, Mission Beverages, Seven Up, Nu-Grape Soda."  Consolidated also advertised locally on billboards that were set up in Alamogordo by the parent company in Roswell (Alamogordo Telephone Directories 1958-1963; Haines interview). 

     Consolidated converted a Forest Service building at 1101 Vermont Ave. in Alamogordo into a warehouse in 1962.  By 1964, it was managed by B. E. Dooley.  The 2,000 Square foot warehouse was too small to accommodate the flow of "product" through it but was successfully used by a variety of managers including Paul McGregor, James F. Fairfield, Esquiel De La Rosa, and Michael May between 1967 and 1975.  Ken Josselyn, who had previously worked for Coca-Cola, became manager for a short period before going into bread delivery.  He later returned to Coca-Cola and became manager of the Alamogordo plant in 1978.  Mike Haines began working for Consolidated in 1974 and became manager the following year.  Under Haines, Consolidated carried 40-50 different items during the Vermont Ave. period, and, despite the limited space, vended over 100,000 cases of "product" during some years.  Space was not the only problem on Vermont Avenue.  Consolidated was located at the edge of the 10th Street business district and nestled close to the surrounding residences.  Although Haines maintained good relations with his neighbors, there were still occasional complaints about the noise generated by loading and unloading operations, and deliveries could not be scheduled at night (ACD 1964-65 - 1975; Haines interview).
 

Original Vermont Ave. Location of Consolidated Bottling Co. - Courtesy of Mike Haines	Ann Carleson (Plant Secretary) and Mike Haines in front of Consolidated Plant - Courtesy of Mike Haines

Mike Haines and others at the Alamogordo Space Hall of Fame for the presentation of a Pepsi-Cola can for use in space - Courtesy of Mike Haines

     To resolve the problems of noise and space, Consolidated bought land and constructed a new, larger warehouse at 2315 N. Eddy Dr. in 1985.  Pepsi Cola West, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, bought the local operation in 1989 and retained Haines as manager and salesman for the area.  The plant was administered from Phoenix, Arizona.  Haines apparently provided the needed stability to the management position and remained in charge through the change of ownership.  In 1993 the company name became Pepsi-Cola Co., the district headquarters changed to Albuquerque, and Haines became listed as District Manager, a position he retains in 1998.  Interestingly, Pepsi-Cola and Alamogordo are both celebrating their one hundredth anniversary in 1998 (ACD 1977-1994, Haines interview).

Current Location (Eddy Dr.) of Pepsi-Cola West

     The first listed local address of Consolidated Bottlers was 809 Fourth St. in Tularosa, the private residence of the area salesman.  Fourth St. is now St. Francis Dr. where Highway 54/70 extends through town.  An abandoned gas station gathers dust and decrepitude at 801 Fourth St. next to a vacant lot where the salesman lived.  The first home of Consolidated Bottlers is no more.

     When Consolidated established its Alamogordo warehouse at 1101 Vermont Ave. in 1962, the location was inconvenient because of its proximity to a residential district.  The building had been a grocery store in the 1940s and later a Forest Service building.  Consolidated constructed an addition to the structure to increase the limited space.  When the company built its new warehouse on Eddy Dr. in 1985, Rocky Mountain Supply Co. moved into the Vermont location.  Just a few years later, however, Smith's Food and Drug Center bought the property and demolished the old warehouse.  Consolidated's plant was located approximately where Smith's loading dock now stands (Haines interview).