Coke man blew in with storm, made career the 'Real Thing'
JERRY AULDS

Besides hailing from Wharton County, both CBS News anchorman Dan Rather and retiring El Campo Coke main honcho James Socha share another more unique connection - Hurricane Carla's howling winds helped launch each man's career back in 1961.

When Carla blew ashore on Sept. 11, 1961, Rather fearlessly covered the story from Galveston beach and let the storm's dangerous winds propel him onto the nation's television screens and instant media stardom.

While Rather was down on the beach blowing in the wind, James Socha and his younger brother Jody were ginning cotton in Garwood. "We stayed and worked until Carla flooded the gin," James recalled.

The high water turned out to be a high point for Socha. Before Carla, the 19-year-old had been pestering El Campo Coca Cola Bottling Plant manager Tom McMillian for a job. Each time McMillian turned him down.

"Tom didn't think a skinny 125 pound kid could handle lifting and loading cases packed with 24 bottles of Coke," said Socha.

But after years of toting 500 pound cotton bales and picking and hauling wagon loads of Taiton watermelons, Socha knew cases of "The Real Thing" were "No problem."

Well, maybe one problem. After McMillian relented, "My Dad didn't think I could make any money, because the company would dock me every time I broke a bottle," Socha said.

But Socha had found his niche. He could handle the cases, and to his Dad's relief, "I didn't break much," said Socha with a laugh.

He did, however, break tons of sales records. The farm kid possessed a knack for people. The owners of Mom and Pop grocery stores along with corner service stations like the skinny young man with the serious but infectious grin who could talk golf, baseball, hunting, fishing or a favorite recipe for brisket with equal skill and passion, all while stacking storerooms ever fuller of Coke products.

And he stacked up pretty good with his bosses, making supervisor in a year and a half and telling his bride to be, Charlene Roznovsky, "I just love doing this, and one day I'm going to run this place," he predicted.

Socha married Charlene in '63 and realized the second love of his life when he began "running the place" in 1978.

He's been running ever since. Not only for himself, his family and his company, but also for the people he works with and for his community.

The world belongs to those who show up.

Socha shows up everywhere. He popped into my office at the radio station in 1978 touting the Wharton County Youth Fair. "It's going to be something special," he promised.

In 1983 he was equally enthusiastic about Diet Coke. "You're going to love it," he promised a skeptical me.

Right and Right!

And he was right about the 100 Club, the Museum Society, Polka Expo, the Egg Toss at Grande Days...

Right about causes and right about people, especially those he started working with at El Campo Coca Cola - Dennis Stary, A.J. Hlavaty and Ben Tupa. "You know, Peggy Kotulek was the first person I hired, and she's still with the company," Socha said with a proud grin.

Socha figures since he has managed to avoid getting docked for breaking too many bottles, now is the right time to let someone else carry the cases and make the case for "The Real Thing."

So March 31, James Socha will run his last route for Coke.

No word on whether Dan will be there to cover the sure flood of emotions.

As for Socha, does he plan on showing up for hunting trips?

Grandkids? Wharton County Youth Fair? 100 Club? Ricebird sports?

You're right!

This classic Jerry Aulds column first appeared in the El Campo Leader- News on March 25, 2000.