Business Expands in Charlotte, 1954

From the September 1954 issue of Charlotte: Spearhead of the New South! published by the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce

Charlotte’s continued importance as the major distributive center of the Carolinas is emphasized by the recent $400,000 expansion of the Scott Drug Co., serving 500 retail drug stores, soda shops, and hospitals in the Charlotte area.

Organized in 1891, Scott’s new home at 2923 S. Tryon Street marks its second expansion. The new 52,000 square foot building is modern in concept and construction. Air conditioned offices, a conference room, and a display room run the length of its 200-foot frontage and extend back to a depth of 36 feet. The remaining 45,000 square feet contains fan ventilated, insulated storage, shipping, and receiving space.

Of brick and steel construction, the wholesale drug distributing house is equipped for rapid and efficient service. Gravity and power conveyors form the basis of the assembly line technique used by Scott’s 60 employees to fill all orders. Its 19,000 items of stock are arranged on shelves bounding a large conveyor system, including a 140-foot conveyor for trash alone.

Scott’s expansion is a result of the over-all increase in demand which Charlotte is experiencing, and the increased speed in delivery demanded by our present-day business world. Said Walter Scott Jr., president of the firm, “Service has had to improve.” He pointed out that during 1953 his firm handled an average of 1 ½ new items each day, a total of over 500 during the year. The new building was designed to fit these expanding needs.

A firm believer in Charlotte’s future, the company has been a member of the Chamber of Commerce for 63 years, since its founding by John M. Scott, the uncle of president Walter Scott Jr. Other officers of the company are J.W. Bennick, vice president; and J.L. Fesperman, secretary and treasurer.