Coca-Cola names new COO

The board of directors of the Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company and the company's chief executive officer, Edwin "Cookie" Rice Jr., have appointed John Schaefer to the position of president/chief operating officer.

"We realized two years ago that it was time to find someone to assume my role as (chief financial officer)," Rice said. "The soft drink industry has gone through a phase of consolidation. That added to the complexity of the job. Greater attention needed to be given to the effects of retail consolidation, as well," he said.

Schaefer began in his new position Jan. 1. (See the related story on page 7.)

The board of directors began looking for a COO more than 18 months ago, and "we think we've found a perfect fit in John Schaefer," Rice said. "He has a long history in the business. He's worked in the family business environment. He has a temperament that lends itself to a family environment; he's sensitive to individual employees, has a good grasp of what questions to ask and finds it easy to reach solutions once he's in possession of the facts."

Rice said his age also was a factor in the decision to hire a COO.

"I've just turned 70," he said, "Our company needed to have a succession plan; someone to run the day-to-day operations."

The Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company is owned by Rice, his wife Phoebe, their two daughters, Sally Hargis and Peggy Rice, as well as by Rice's sister Virginia "Tookie" Heer and her two daughters, Hattie Brown and Suzie Heer.

While Schaefer will handle the day-to-day operations, Rice will deal with industry issues "and help develop strategies necessary to keep the business moving forward."

While approximately 90 percent of the company's sales come from the carbonated beverages, Rice sees real growth potential in the bottled water market.

The future also includes a 12,000 square foot addition to the warehouse. The added space, which should be finished by June, will be used for storage.

Rice has been the chief executive officer of the Ozarks Coca-Cola Bottling Company for 30 years. He started working for his father, Edwin C. Rice Sr., at the age of 14, loading trucks for what was then called the Electric Bottling Company.

There are approximately 290 employees working for the Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company. The company distributes products in 32 Missouri counties.

(Editor's note: Ann Bucy is a longtime free-lance writer for the Business Journal. She is currently employed by Penmac Personnel Services and is working at Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company in a temporary capacity.)