- [Jason] Twice a month you'll find Dale Halton right here at Myers Park Country Club.

Cards in hand, playing bridge.

- You're not printing more diamonds over there, are you?

- [Jason] It's a friendly game amongst friends.

- No, I don't.

- [Jason] Dale is just as comfortable dealing cards as she once was making million dollar deals as CEO and president of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Charlotte, the company started by her late grandparents, Henry and Sadie Fowler.

(old time music) The couple married in 1903 at a time when Charlotte's population was around 20,000.

- My grandmother was called during those days, "A Grand Dame," that I'll never be and that's okay.

And she didn't show her heart.

My grandfather did, and he was a good, good man.

My grandfather grew up on the family farm, north of Salisbury.

He came to Charlotte as a bookkeeper for Adams Grain and Feed.

- [Jason] Fowler excelled at his job and quickly advanced, but it was a side job that changed the couple's direction.

- He also did some nighttime bookkeeping for Mr. Snyder who had the Coca-Cola franchise, and he knew that there was some money to be made in this brown water.

- [Jason] Brown water, as it was called, the refreshing carbonated beverage that was becoming all the rage at the start of the 20th century.

In 1893, New Bern, North Carolina pharmacist, Caleb Bradham developed his own recipe, which he sold at his pharmacy.

Bradham patented Pepsi-Cola in 1903 and soon after.

- [Dale] My grandfather hopped on the bandwagon and he was the first franchise bottler of Pepsi in the whole world, and my grandmother was right there with him.

- [Jason] In 1958, Sadie Fowler passed away, followed 13 years later by company founder Henry Fowler in 1971.

For the next decade or so after their deaths, the company struggled, but change was on the horizon.

The Fowler's granddaughter took the helm as president and CEO.

Dale Halton grew up around her grandfather's business and has fond childhood memories of spending time at the plant.

- [Dale] Fascinating.

I loved the machinery.

I loved to watch it.

- [Jason] She never, though, imagined that someday she'd lead the family business.

- It was a little scary thought, but at that time it was very unusual for a woman to be leading a business of that size.

- [Jason] The year was 1981.

Halton says she always led the company with her grandparents in the back of her mind, never more so than when it came time to renovate the South Boulevard plant.

- I remember we had saved enough money to pay for half of the reconstruction and I was working one morning and I felt these eyes boring into me.

My grandfather did not like debt, and I looked up and I'm sure he was looking down at me.

I looked at that portrait and I said, "We saved enough money for half of it and we'll pay for the other half quickly," and we paid it off in three years.

- [Jason] Halton's leadership went way beyond the walls of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company.

Former UNCC athletic director Judy Rose first met Dale while fundraising for a new scoreboard for the University.

Like Halton, Rose found herself leading in what at the time was mostly a man's world.

She became one of only a handful of women college athletic directors in the nation.

She says Halton took her under her wing.

- She doesn't just say she's gonna be your mentor.

She walks the talk.

She, along with Pat Rogers, became two very strong female mentors for me in a mostly male-dominated profession.

- I like helping others.

You know, I feel that if I can, I should and I want to.

I didn't realize what I was doing, I just knew she needed to get out and get known and it didn't take long for her to do it all on her own.

And she's done an unbelievable, wonderful super job.

And she's a dear, dear friend.

- [Jason] Halton's generosity has far exceeded that of mentoring to others, she credits her grandparents for laying the strong financial foundation that has enabled her to do so much for the community.

Since 2006, she's given millions of dollars to various schools, nonprofits and charitable organizations.

- And I just feel like giving back is something that's just normal and natural and it's just what I love doing.

I am so thankful that I have the ability to give back and help the community and help people and do good things for this part of our world.

- For "Carolina Impact," I'm Jason Terzis reporting.