Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
LIME ROCK SPRINGS COMPANY
LIME ROCK SPRINGS COMPANY. In 1916 L. B. Gantz established the Gantz Bottling Works. He sold the company in 1917 to his son John J. GANTZ, Sr. In 1917 the company was renamed Lime Rock Springs for the natural springs on which the bottling facility had been constructed. The company bottled a full line of flavored soft drinks under its own label until 1936 when John J. Gantz, Sr. obtained the franchise rights to Pepsi-Cola, a little known brand.
Gantz renamed his company Vendors Unlimited in 1948. It provided a full line of vending supplies including beverages, snacks and office coffee. In 2006 Vendors Unlimited began selling coffee to convenience stores under the name Pronto Cafe, a premium coffee program. In 2008 Coremill Coffee, an in-house coffee brand, was developed.
In 2009 the decision was made to start a new roasting business. Eric Gantz and Mike Gantz, cousins, became co-owners of Verena Street Coffee Company. The company was located in a small building near the intersection of U. S. 52 and the Northwest Arterial, near where Verena Street was once located. In 2010 Verena Street branding and product development began. Roasting equipment was obtained and put in place. Production began in late December with products due for delivery in January, 2011.
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Source:
Obituaries, John J. Gantz, Jr. Telegraph Herald, July 28, 2005
Schmidt, Eileen Mozinski, "Back to the Grind," Telegraph Herald, Dec. 26, 2010