CONCORD, N.C.
James Roy Davis, Jr., son of the founder and chairman-emeritus of S&D Coffee died Sept. 15. He was 77.
Davis was born shortly after the company was founded by his father, the late J. Roy Davis, Sr., and Lawrence Switzer in 1927. The company originally supplied fresh roasted coffee to local and regional grocery stores. S&D eventually grew through acquisitions into a multi-million venture supplying coffee and tea to thousands of vendors including about a third of the McDonalds hamburger chain. S&D annually roasts 100 million pounds of coffee.
Davis joined the company after college and service in the U.S. Navy in 1959. He succeeded his father as president and CEO in the late 1960s and concentrated on building the commercial side of the business by supplying restaurants, hospitals, office and convenience stores in several states.
In 2000 the company acquired Boston, Mass.-based Victor Coffee which served restaurants and packaged goods stores throughout New England.
In 2006 the firm’s tea handling facility was expanded, doubled its blending capacity to 22 million pounds annually. The state-of-the-art facility was completed to allow flexibility to formulate custom tea blends for customers as well as meet the manufacturing demands of S&D tea brands.
Sons Alan Davis and Rhyne Davis co-chair the regional roaster’s board. Ron Hinson is president & CEO.
Davis is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the 1955 class of Davidson College, where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
In addition to his two sons, he is survived by Nan Sue, his wife of 50 years, and three grandchildren. Services were Sept. 19. Wilkinson Funeral Home is handling arrangements for the Davis family. Condolences may be sent to www.wilkinsonfuneralhome.com.