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Folgers & Co. developed an entirely new vocabulary to describe the "cup" qualities of their various coffees. The company developed a "taste standard" for its best coffee, and each shipment of green coffee beans received the cup-test so that it could be assigned its proper role in producing Folgers coffee. In the 1900s, Folgers & Co. experienced substantial growth, attributable primarily to an energetic salesman named Frank P. Atha. Atha was assigned to sell coffee in the North Beach area of California, where many small grocery stores served the cosmopolitan population. In 1901, after a year on the job, Atha decided that his territory was not large enough for his ambitions. He proposed to James Folger, II, that he open and manage a Folgers coffee plant in Texas. Atha's business grew exponentially, and by year two, he was able to hire two more salesmen and rent office space. In 1908, Atha recommended building a new roasting plant in Kansas City, which remains operational to this day. In 1963 the Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) of Cincinnati, OH, acquired the Folgers Coffee Company and began national distribution of the products under the name Folgers. Since P&G acquired Folgers, it has doubled its business, making it America's number one coffee brand. Folgers continues to produce superior quality coffee, using mountain-grown beans ripened to perfection. As Folgers celebrates its 153rd anniversary, P&G looks forward to the continued success of this high-quality coffee brand.