Bill Smith III
(From businessalabama.com)
William E. "Bill" Smith III, who was named CEO of Royal Cup Coffee in 2014. heads a company that has been privately held and family controlled for more than 100 years. Smith succeeded his uncle, Hatton C.V. Smith, becoming the fourth member of the Smith family to head Royal Cup.
A July 2015 article in Business Alabama provides perspective on Royal Cup's services and longevity. From the article, titled "Not Your Average Cup of Joe," by reporter Jessica Armstrong:
Be it at The Ritz-Carlton or the Waffle House, any time you’re served coffee there’s a good chance it is Royal Cup, one of Alabama’s oldest businesses, which has remained privately held and family controlled for more than 100 years.
Founded in 1896, the Birmingham-based company is a leading coffee importer, roaster and distributor of premium coffee and tea serving the away-from-home market — fine and casual restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs, offices and healthcare facilities.
Just how long ago is 1896? To put it in historical perspective, that year Utah became the 45th state, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was launched and Henry Ford unveiled his first automobile. Management expert Jim Collins, who studies corporate longevity, calls companies that survive 100 years or longer “a special and rarefied group.”
Where has Royal Cup been and where is it headed? This is from a Birmingham Business Journal article about William E. Smith III's appointment as CEO:
Bill Smith III has worked at the company for over 20 years, serving as Atlanta’s territory manager and later as vice president of the operations departments. He has also led the commercial and office coffee division.
Royal Cup serves numerous markets, from resorts, hotels and offices to convenience stores and general consumers. They have distribution centers in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. They source from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.The company, which has announced a $30 million expansion, was the 19th largest private company in Birmingham last year, with more than $340 million in revenue.
The Smith family has owned Birmingham-based Royal Cup since 1950, when William E. Smith and a group of investors purchased the company from the estate of the founder, Henry Batterton of the Batterton Coffee Co.
Bill Smith III seems to keep a low profile about his personal life, and we have not yet been able to determine his marital status, parental status, etc. We sought comment from him for this post, but he has not responded to our queries.
Previously:
(1) Edgar C. Gentle III -- attorney at Gentle Turner Sexton and Harbison, Birmingham, AL (3/8/16)
(2) Stewart Springer -- attorney, solo practice in Birmingham, AL. (3/9/16)
(3) Richard W. "Dick" Bell -- attorney, solo practice in Birmingham, AL (3/14/16)
(4) Robert M.N. Palmer -- attorney and bar association president in Springfield, MO (3/15/16)
(5) Thomas Plouff -- attorney, who is licensed in Alabama and has a practice in Chicago (3/17/16)
(6) James F. Henry -- attorney, Bradley Arant, Birmingham (3/23/16)
(7) Michael E. Stephens -- founder, Lakeshore Foundation, Birmingham (6/20/16)
(8) James Vawter -- founding principal, Capstone Collegiate Communities (10/4/16)
(9) Randy Bates -- executive VP and member of board of directors, Golden Flake (10/5/16)
(10) Reid Carpenter -- attorney, Lightfoot Franklin White, Birmingham (10/6/16)
(11) Scott Sink -- exec. VP, McGriff Seibels Williams, Birmingham (10/11/16)
(12) Russell Byrne -- VP for information systems, Bromberg's, Birmingham (10/17/16)
(13) Rob Waudby -- district manager, Skyline Steel, Birmingham (10/24/16)
(14) Paul Wells -- VP, Protective Life, Birmingham (10/25/16)
(15) Brian Shulman -- CEO, LTS Education Systems, Birmingham (10/26/16)
(16) Peyton Lacy -- attorney, Ogletree Deakins, Birmingham (11/1/16)
(17) James Dixon -- managing director, Sterne Agee, Birmingham (11/7/16)
(18) Craig O'Dear -- partner, Bryan Cave law firm, Kansas City, MO (11/16/16)
