... History
The Best-Laid Plans . . .
 oward the end of the ’40s, however, Jack’s Cookie Company had become a source of frustration for O.D. He overbuilt the new bakery in Charlotte, and as a result, sold 51 percent of the business. He soon regretted the decision as he saw product formulas and business processes change under the new owners. He decided to retire and sold the remaining 49 percent; Ruth stayed on to ease the transition.
About that time, Cecil King, Ruth’s brother, was hit with double trouble. He was ill with cancer and had lost all of his sales staff and half of his customers in  one dark day. He asked O.D. to come to Chattanooga and develop a sales force from the ground up. O.D., always eager for a challenge, returned to Chattanooga, and Ruth soon followed. A year later, in 1952, he and Ruth bought the business from Cecil.
  
|
