Automatic Merchandiser - 31

SOUTHERN
HOSPITALITY
+

Pee Dee Food Service's bottler roots, customercentric philosophy and home cooking build loyal
following over three decades
By Emily Jed, Contributing Editor

P

ee Dee Food Service has built its
reputation as a leader in northeastern South Carolina by treating
its customers like its guests and
serving up its own freshly made
foods in vending machines, micro
markets and at catered events as small
as a backyard barbecue and as grand
as a white tablecloth plated occasion.
Based in Florence, S.C., the company has been focused on meeting the
on-site food and beverage needs of
its customers since 1988. It began as
an offshoot of Pepsi Cola of Florence,
S.C., a multigenerational independent
Pepsi bottler started by the Avent
family in 1936. With the launch of
Pee Dee Food Service, the bottler
dove into full-line vending and office
coffee service (OCS) complete with a
commissary to differentiate itself by
producing its own fresh food.

" From the beginning - when the
Avent family owned Pepsi of Florence
- they prided themselves on being
strong supporters of and partners to
the community, " said Nick Foong,
Pee Dee Food Service director of
foodservice, who also heads up the
repair service department for Pepsi of
Florence and Pee Dee Food Service.
" Our owners and executives sponsored events, served on boards and
foundations, and participated actively
in community activities. As a result,
Pee Dee Foods developed a reputation
for being a strong, integral part of the
Pee Dee region we're named for, which
encompasses 10 counties in northeastern South Carolina. "
The company's owners and team
grew the full-line vending business
steadily by focusing on delivering
top-notch service and bolstered their

market penetration by acquiring South
Carolina's Premier Vending and Five
Star Vending.
In 2005, the Avent family sold Pepsi
of Florence and Pee Dee Food Service
to Carolina Canners Inc. (CCI), a
Cheraw, S.C.-based corporation formed
by five North Carolina and South
Carolina-based independent Pepsi bottlers. Another significant milestone was
in 2008 when Pee Dee Food Service
became a Canteen franchisee.
FOOD FOCUS

As one of very few vending companies
in its region to have its own commissary, food remains a central point of
differentiation for Pee Dee. With the
same catering manager, Phil Stephenson, at the helm since the beginning,
the Pee Dee Food Service commissary built a reputation for consistent,

December 2020 * VendingMarketWatch.com

31



http://www.VendingMarketWatch.com

Automatic Merchandiser

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automatic Merchandiser

Editor's Note: To New Beginnings
Industry News
OCS Update: Safe and Sustainable
The 2020 Pros to Know Awards
Pivoting a Path Back to Prosperity
Success Story: Southern Hospitality
Small Operations: Winning Using Basic Fundamentals
Classifieds
Social Hubs
Automatic Merchandiser - 1
Automatic Merchandiser - 2
Automatic Merchandiser - 3
Automatic Merchandiser - 4
Automatic Merchandiser - 5
Automatic Merchandiser - Editor's Note: To New Beginnings
Automatic Merchandiser - 7
Automatic Merchandiser - Industry News
Automatic Merchandiser - 9
Automatic Merchandiser - OCS Update: Safe and Sustainable
Automatic Merchandiser - 11
Automatic Merchandiser - The 2020 Pros to Know Awards
Automatic Merchandiser - 13
Automatic Merchandiser - 14
Automatic Merchandiser - 15
Automatic Merchandiser - 16
Automatic Merchandiser - 17
Automatic Merchandiser - 18
Automatic Merchandiser - 19
Automatic Merchandiser - 20
Automatic Merchandiser - 21
Automatic Merchandiser - 22
Automatic Merchandiser - 23
Automatic Merchandiser - 24
Automatic Merchandiser - 25
Automatic Merchandiser - Pivoting a Path Back to Prosperity
Automatic Merchandiser - 27
Automatic Merchandiser - 28
Automatic Merchandiser - 29
Automatic Merchandiser - Success Story: Southern Hospitality
Automatic Merchandiser - 31
Automatic Merchandiser - 32
Automatic Merchandiser - 33
Automatic Merchandiser - 34
Automatic Merchandiser - 35
Automatic Merchandiser - Small Operations: Winning Using Basic Fundamentals
Automatic Merchandiser - Classifieds
Automatic Merchandiser - Social Hubs
Automatic Merchandiser - 39
Automatic Merchandiser - 40
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