Within a few miles of each other were born six people recognized as giants of industry in the Southeast. Asa G. Candler of Villa Rica was founder and first president of Coca-Cola; Sam Candler Dobbs was president of Coca-Cola; Arthur Acklen was president of Coca-Cola; Warren Sewell was the father of men's clothing manufacturing in the South; D.W. Brooks started the Georgia Cotton Cooperative, which became Gold Kist; and Roy Richards developed Southwire into one of the largest wire companies in the world.