Our Company

In 1940, Tom Hartness opened the first Pepsi franchise in Greenville, South Carolina with 14 employees and 5 trucks. Five years later, Mr. Hartness developed the first ever case packer that dramatically improved bottling line efficiency. The Hartness Case Packer revolutionized early bottling line production and was the genesis of Hartness International, a global packaging equipment company founded by Mr. Hartness and based in Greenville, South Carolina. From humble beginnings, Tom Hartness used hard work, integrity, and ingenuity to become one of Greenville’s leading entrepreneurs and philanthropists.

In 1982, Carolina Canners, Inc., a privately-owned regional production cooperative located in Cheraw, South Carolina, purchased Pepsi Cola of Greenville from Mr. Hartness. Pepsi of Greenville remains one of the few independent and privately-owned Pepsi franchises in the country today. In fact, the Carolinas is one of the few regions in the country where a number of original, family-owned Pepsi franchises still exist and are operated by descendants of their founders. Some Carolina Pepsi franchises have remained in the same family for over 100 years!

Today, Pepsi Cola of Greenville continues to operate using the principles Tom Hartness established when he began: hard work, integrity, ingenuity, and care for our associates and our community. From our sales facility on State Park Road, we service various retail, food service, institutional, entertainment, full service and general business customers in Greenville and Laurens counties. We are proud of our company’s roots here in Greenville and of the Carolinas being the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.