Unissued check from the Royal Crown Cola . This historic document was issued by the Nehi Beverage Company and has a border around it with the company's logo. Royal Crown Company Inc., originally called the Union Bottling Works, began in Columbus, Georgia in 1905. Claud A. Hatcher start making soft drinks in the basement of his family's wholesale grocery business. From these beginnings, Royal Crown Cola became the third largest soft drink company in America. By 1925, the company had over 300 plants most of which was selling under the Nehi brand name. By the end of the 1930's the company had over 500 bottling plants.