Early 1900s David Stone and Morris Maib were partners in a retail grocery business in 1910. Newspaper articles give 1912 as the year when the partners established a coffee company serving Emporia and a small surrounding territory. In 1915, C.J. “Mose” Neill purchased the plant, then known as Emporia Wholesale Coffee Company, a business venture that has had interesting phases. As described in a 1931 Emporia Gazette article, one department employed up to 20 women in the winter months to produce one to two tons of chocolate peanut clusters daily. These were sold in bulk to retailers in Kansas and surrounding states. Candy bars, peanut brittle, and fountain supplies were also handled by the company. Quality was tops, as evidenced by the fact that only a few years ago, a visitor traveling through the city looked up EWCC in hopes of “buying some of the best candy he could remember.” Another popular branch of the company was roasting and salting peanuts. Contracted to the headquarters of S. H. Kress & Company, over a half-million pounds of peanuts had been sold by 1934. Mr. Neill bragged he never shipped salted peanuts over 12 hours old. The most important and longest lasting segment of the business has been the roasting of coffee. In 1933, the plant was producing 90,000 pounds of coffee monthly with equipment available to roast twice that much. Six-O, Neill’s Amazing, and Kuality Kup were the company brands. The firm also packed private label brands for forty companies and sold in bulk. The company had a contract for state institutions to furnish 200,000 pounds yearly. In 1938, new machinery was installed, enabling the firm to pack the fresh roasted and ground coffee in glass vacuum packed containers, replacing a tin can pack method. Mr. Neill showed his pride in what he felt a dream come true, "the peak of perfection for Kuality Kup Coffee" in an ad acknowledging a “600% increase in sales, proving the success of this new way of packaging Kuality Kup.” During World War II, coffee was rationed in the United States, and Emporians were tantalized by the smell of roasting coffee by the Emporia firm. EWCC received a government contract to roast 60,000 pounds of green coffee weekly to be shipped to overseas forces. In addition to coffee, the company shipped approximately 50,000 pounds of chocolate peanut clusters weekly for consumption by those on the fighting front. 1945 Growth and expansion of the firm is evidenced by several moves into larger buildings in the 300-400 blocks of Commercial and Merchant Streets in Emporia. In 1945, the business was handling teas, coffees, spices, extracts, candies, restaurant and fountain supplies and equipment, with a payroll of 22 employees. 1955 The end of an era: Mose Neill died in February, 1955, at 70 years of age. His interest in the company was purchased by W.J. “Wally” Evans from neighboring Chase County. Moving from being a farmer and a dairyman to the owner of a coffee company was quite a challenge, especially since he didn’t drink coffee! At this time, the company had four salesmen. 1975 In 1975, Charles “Skip” Evans bought the controlling interest in Emporia Wholesale Coffee Company and has been president of the “small company with a personal touch” ever since. As the industry expanded, so did the company, developing product lines and sales as time progressed. Continual growth and expansion created the company known today as EVCO Wholesale Food Corporation. Under the leadership of the Evans family, EVCO continues to respond to the food service needs and requirements of today’s food service operator. EVCO provides jobs from Larned, in the middle of Kansas, east to the Missouri line. Thirty diesel trucks with dual temperature compartment beds provide delivery to hundreds of customers. The attractive red, white, and blue logo on the truck is a familiar sight on many roads with the large “EVCO Wholesale” standing out wherever they go. 2006 A new 40,000 square foot frozen warehouse was opened in July of 2006. It sits on a 25 acre plot at 3600 West 6th Avenue in Emporia's Industrial Park #2. In addition to the added frozen grocery capacity at the new facility, it helped to nearly double the refrigerated capacity for EVCO as it continues to serve it's customers with quality products and superior service. EVCO Wholesale Food Corporation will continue the tradition of quality, service, and dependability - the three keys to the longevity and future of the company. Today EVCO still grinds and packs “fresh” coffee, bringing the finest coffee beans to Kansas from all over the world. As the state’s second largest food service distributor, EVCO provides a broad line of products and services for the hospitality industry. EVCO delivers the best in quality, service, and dependability, as Charles “Skip” Evans, President of EVCO, still maintains our philosophy of “The Customer is King!”
