Abstract:
J. Roy David, Sr. and Lawrence Switzer started S & D Coffee in Charlotte in 1927, and two years later moved the company to Concord. At the beginning the company sold its product on the retail market through mom and pop stores and country markets. However, the market changed after World War II with the rise of the large supermarket chains which threatened smaller grocery stores. Davis shifted his coffee business to the commercial side, focusing on a customer base of food service suppliers, such as restaurants, hospitals, offices, and convenience stores. From ten employees twenty-five years ago, S & D has grown to over 300 today in thirteen states.