Manufacturing is present throughout Chattanooga's history. Starting with the Roane Iron Company in the 1860s, the iron industry flourished and by 1871 it was worth approximately $1 million. In 1899, Ben F. Thomas and Joseph Brown Whitehead introduced a new manufacturing industry to Chattanooga. After gaining the right to bottle Coca-Cola, they established a bottling plant which continues to operate today. In the 20th century, manufacturing was Chattanooga's largest employer; this was facilitated by new textile factories which provided many jobs (Eichenthal & Windeknecht,