Salina, Kansas Pepsi-Cola Plant Dedication

April 22nd, 1956

“Film Actress To Visit Salina” (The Salina Journal, April 8th, 1956)
Film actress Joan Crawford will be a Salina visitor later this month. She will come here with her husband, Alfred N. Steele, New York, for the dedication ceremonies of the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant, 604 N. 9th. Steele is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company. Mrs. Verla Nesbitt, owner of the local company, said the dedication program will be spread over four days starting April 21.The Steeles, along with other Pepsi-Cola executives, are expected the weekend of the 21st. The dedication includes a cocktail party for visitors, Dealer Day April 22. The plant will be open to the public April 23 and 24. The plant has been in operation about a year.

“To Dedicate Bottling Plant” (The Salina Journal, April 16th, 1956)

The new Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company plant, 604 N. 9th, will be dedicated next weekend. The Owner is Mrs. Verla Nesbitt.
Saturday, April 21, out-of-town bottlers and national officers of Pepsi-Cola bottling company will be guests. They will tour the plant and be entertained. Among visitors will be Herbert L. Barnet, New York, president of the Pepsi-Cola Company, and Alfred N. Steele, New York, chairman of the board of directors.

Joan Crawford Here Accompanying Steele will be his wife, film actress, Joan Crawford.
Sunday, April 22 will be Dealer Day. Dealers from the 10 counties served by the local firm will be invited.
Monday and Tuesday, April 23 and 24, the public will be invited to inspect the plant.
Mrs. Nesbitt bought the plant site from the Barcafer Manufacturing Company more than a year ago.

“Joan Crawford And Pepsi Draw A Crowd” (The Salina Journal, April 22nd, 1956)

Joan Crawford, movie actress, is a dutiful wife and she knows her lines. Saturday in Salina Miss Crawford was asked:
“What’s your very favorite drink?” - “I’m holding it right here in my hand Really I am.” She said.
She was holding a bottle of Pepsi-Cola. Her husband, Alfred Steele, is chairman of the board of the Pepsi-Cola Company.

Here For Dedication
Mr. and Mrs. Steele were in Salina for the dedication of the new Pepsi-Cola bottling plant at 604 N. 9th.
They visited the plant Saturday afternoon and later were guests at a cocktail party.
Miss Crawford is wearing her hair red these days and at 48, has been in movies for 30 years. She wears well.
Next month she’ll go to England to start work in a new film, “The Story Of Esther Costello” for Wolf Brothers.

Going To West Coast
Right now she’s enroute from New York to Los Angeles where she’ll join her four adopted children.

With her is her charcoal toy poodle, Chiffon
The dog is “wild about my husband. But she does get in the way sometimes”. Miss Crawford reported.

The photographer wanted a shot of Miss Crawford with a Pepsi-Cola bottle. She said:
“My husband has a cold and he’s drank…drunk…drunk…out of this bottle. Gee, that’s a good dialog.”

“I’m from Kansas City. Where’re you from?”
Miss Crawford did live for a time in Kansas City. She grew up there at St. Agnes’ Convent where she waited on table, made beds and washed dishes to pay her tuition.

Before leaving the plant, she signed autographs for youngsters and thanked each one for asking for her signature.
Miss Crawford wasn’t the only dignitary at the opening of Mrs. Verla Nesbitt’s new bottling plant. Herbert Barnett, president of the company, also was there. He helped open the doors Saturday morning then Salina Mayor Albert Hawkes cut the red and blue ribbons.

Pepsi-Cola bottlers from Denver, Cedar Rapids, Joplin and throughout Kansas also attended.
The Saturday afternoon open house attracted a big crowd.