BREESE — On a recent Monday morning, a customer dropped off his crate of empties at Excel Bottling Co. and shouted to a worker over the sound of glass bottles being washed at Illinois' only returnable soda bottle line.Â
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Excel Bottling employee Scott Holthaus makes adjustments to the production line as plastic bottles of soda are moved toward the labeling machine at the Excel Bottling Co. plant in Breese, Ill., on Monday, April 6, 2026.
A bottle of Freedom Punch, a clear fruit punch flavored soda, moves along the production line at the Excel Bottling plant in Breese, Ill., on Monday, April 6, 2026.
Photos: Excel Bottling Co. continues as family business
An exterior view of Excel Bottling Co. complex in Breese, Ill. Monday, April 6, 2026.
Mike Mensing prepares plastic bottles to enter the production line and be filled with soda at the Excel Bottling Co. plant in Breese, Ill. Monday, April 6, 2026.
Excel Bottling plant manager Christine Francis pulls soda bottle samples off the production line for evaluation at the Excel Bottling Co. plant in Breese, Ill. Monday, April 6, 2026.
President of Excel Bottling William Meier takes a look at a bottle of ‘Freedom Punch’ that he pulled off the production line before labeling at the Excel Bottling Co. plant in Breese, Ill. Monday, April 6, 2026.
Plastic bottles wait to be filled with soda on the production line at the Excel Bottling Co. plant in Breese, Ill. Monday, April 6, 2026.
Excel Bottling employee Scott Holthaus makes adjustments to the production line as plastic bottles of soda are moved toward the labeling machine at the Excel Bottling Co. plant in Breese, Ill., on Monday, April 6, 2026.
President of Excel Bottling William Meier watches as maintenance manager Steve Bacon starts the production line at the Excel Bottling Co. plant in Breese, Ill. Monday, April 6, 2026.
Excel Bottling assistant plant manager Chandler Haar takes a look at the production line as bottles of soda are filled at the Excel Bottling Co. plant in Breese, Ill. Monday, April 6, 2026.
President of Excel Bottling William Meier takes a drink of "Freedom Punch" that he pulled off the production line at the Excel Bottling Co. plant in Breese, Ill., on Monday, April 6, 2026.
A bottle of Freedom Punch, a clear fruit punch flavored soda, moves along the production line at the Excel Bottling plant in Breese, Ill., on Monday, April 6, 2026.
A bottle of Freedom Punch, a clear fruit punch flavored soda, moves along the production line at the Excel Bottling plant in Breese Illinois soon Monday, April 6, 2026.
View life in St. Louis through the Post-Dispatch photographers' lenses. Edited by Jenna Jones
