- National Beer Wholesalers Association

Special Convention & Trade Show Issue · September/October 2013
THE
ROUTE
Message from the Chairman and the President:
Welcome to Las Vegas!
W
elcome to NBWA’s 76th Annual Convention and Trade Show!
We hope you will enjoy this newsletter’s look at the activities of
your association along with news from some of your fellow beer distributors across the country.
NBWA is excited to bring you a program packed with great speakers,
23 education seminars and a Trade Show Floor filled with more than
280 exhibitors featuring innovative products and services to assist you
in your business. Make sure to experience some of the many beers that
will be offered on the Trade Show Floor and in the Craft Beer Pavilion!
The all-star speaker lineup includes Joe Scarborough and Mika
Brzezinski, co-hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, who will offer a
dynamic and fast-paced perspective on the current political landscape
and the headlines of the
day. Demographer Jim
Johnson will share his
research on what the next generation of beer consumers might look like
and how demographic changes in the U.S. could impact the future of the
beer distribution industry.
On Tuesday, the U.S. leaders of five brewers and importers will
gather on one stage for a discussion of issues facing the beer industry and
the strengths of the American beer distribution system, which works so well
for so many. They also will answer some of the NBWA membership’s most
burning questions, so don’t miss this candid conversation!
You’ll hear from Walmart’s Executive Vice President, Chief
Merchandising and Marketing Officer Duncan Mac Naughton on
how distributors can work with the retailer to grow the beer category. And
Jason Ryan Dorsey, The Gen Y Guy®, will share his insights on how to
lead and manage across generations.
Great things can be achieved when our industry comes together, so we
hope you take advantage of all this Convention and Trade Show has to offer. And be sure to stay connected and engaged
by downloading NBWA’s Convention app, tuning into NBWA-TV and joining the conversation on Twitter using
#NBWAVegas.
Cheers!
Bob ArcherCraig Purser
2012-2013 NBWA Chair
NBWA President & CEO
#NBWAVegas
Meet NBWA’s Incoming Chairman
Greg LaMantia
Member/Manager
L & F Distributors, LLC
McAllen, TX
A
s NBWA’s incoming chairman,
Greg LaMantia looks forward to
helping guide the association’s efforts
to strengthen grassroots relationships,
increase support for state associations
and enhance relationships between
independent beer distributors and their
trading partners.
“The industry has changed significantly and is continuing to change,”
LaMantia said. “It is not your father’s
or grandfather’s industry anymore. The
beer industry is different today than it
was yesterday. And it’s up to us to prepare for tomorrow.”
LaMantia is a member manager of
L&F Distributors LLC, a family business founded in 1977 by LaMantia’s
father, Joe Lamantia, Jr. After decades
as a farming and ranching family, they
entered the beer business with 11
employees. Since then, L&F has grown
to employ more than 1,000 individuals.
It now operates throughout 34 counties
in Texas and New Mexico and covers
nearly 200,000 square miles of land.
With experience from Texas Christian
University’s Ranch Management program, LaMantia began his career
handling his family’s agriculture operation located in Texas’ Dimmit, Webb
and Zavala Counties. Since leaving the
agriculture business in the late 1980s,
LaMantia has overseen the general
operations of L & F Distributors, LLC.
“Like many beer distributors, I have
the privilege of working with many family members – my dad, three brothers,
one sister and six members of the ‘next
generation,’” he said. “Pride in our family
businesses is the foundation of our beer
distributorships.”
Much of that pride in the family business stems from the LaMantia family’s
deep commitment to their community
and support for numerous non-profit
organizations.
One organization that is especially
important to the LaMantia family is the
Stars Scholarship Fund, which promotes
access to and success in higher education
for all students.
Last year marked the 10-year anniversary of Stars, but its origin began
decades before its founding. In 1974,
Joe Lamantia, Jr. was appointed to the
Board of the Texas Department of
Corrections. He was reappointed in
1983 and served as the vice chairman for
more than 10 years. During this tenure,
he saw firsthand the problems facing the
Texas border region, specifically poverty,
crime and high unemployment. He recognized that education was the key to
improving the community.
Under Joe LaMantia, Jr.’s leadership,
L&F Distributors partnered with the
Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) in
1994 and in eight years raised more than
$5 million and awarded more than 2,600
scholarships to students in South Texas.
The success of HSF prompted efforts to
create an organization that catered to
South Texas and the communities which
surrounded L&F Distributors. In 2002,
Joe LaMantia, Jr. established the Stars
Scholarship Fund, which raised more
than $1 million its first year.
Today Stars partners with hundreds
of local and national businesses, organizations, colleges and universities. It has
raised more than $18 million since its
founding and helped more than 9,000
students from south Texas receive higher
education.
The cornerstone of the Stars organization is its devoted volunteers and
sponsors. Unlike most non-profit organizations, Stars commits 100% of every
dollar donated directly to scholarships
for the students of South Texas to
attend the college of their choice. All
Stars expenses, including overhead and
salaries, are generously underwritten by
Anheuser-Busch and L&F Distributors.
LaMantia is currently vice chairman
of the Stars Scholarship Fund Board of
Directors, serving alongside his father
Joe LaMantia, Jr. and several other family members.
LaMantia has applied that same spirit
of giving and volunteerism to his work
with NBWA. Since he was elected to the
NBWA Board of Directors in 2007, he
served as the chair of the Government
Affairs Committee, and he broke all
fundraising records as the chair of the
NBWA Political Action Committee
(PAC). Last year, NBWA awarded
L&F Distributors, under LaMantia’s
leadership, with the Whitey Littlefield
Award in recognition of employee and
next generation contributions to the
NBWA PAC.
“Greg is a tremendous motivator who
knows how to lead by example, which
makes him a very effective advocate
for his fellow beer distributors,” said
NBWA President & CEO Craig Purser.
“I look forward to working closely with
him to advance the association’s goals in
the year ahead.”
NBWA Hosts First-Ever Next Generation
Success in Leadership Conference
N
BWA held its inaugural Next Generation
S uccess in L eadership
Conference August 4 – 5
at the Hyatt Regency in
Chicago, Illinois. More
than 60 members of
NBWA’s Next Generation
Group attended the conference. The NBWA Next
Generation Group first came
together at NBWA’s Annual
Convention and Trade
Show in 2011 and is chaired
by Adam Vitale, NBWA
Board member & president
of G & M Distributors, Inc.
The group was founded to
bring together future leaders in the beer distribution
industry and it focuses on
helping members learn more about the
beer business, get more involved with
the association and network with other
distributors from all areas of the country
representing all brands.
The conference kicked off with a beer
pairing dinner and reception, offering
future leaders the opportunity to network in a casual setting. The program
featured Matt Dahlstrom, the founder
of LearnBeer.com, and Craig Purser,
NBWA President & CEO.
Also in attendance at the conference
was NBWA Chairman Bob Archer of
Blue Ridge Beverage Co., who said,
“You are the future for your family businesses and NBWA. They are both worth
your commitment and support over the
long term.”
Dahlstrom, a 20-year veteran of the
beer industry, works with distributors
on sales training, management development and strategy execution to increase
sales effectiveness and drive business
results. His presentation, The Emerging
NBWA Next Generation Group members take
part in Matt Dahlstrom’s The Emerging Leader
workshop.
Leader workshop, was aimed at helping attendees lead better, inspire others,
increase readiness and improve company
performance. Topics included leadership
skills, business readiness, maximizing
your impact, strategy development and
succession.
The program gave attendees the
opportunity to work together during
group exercises in a round table format,
and they received a talents assessment
that was specifically tailored to each of
their strengths and weaknesses.
Purser closed the conference by giving an overview on the history of the
beer industry and purpose of NBWA.
The group was enthusiastic about
learning more about the industry and
was excited to talk to one another about
their businesses. As Purser told attendees, “We’ve got a great story to tell.”
In addition to a networking happy
hour prior to the Welcome Reception
at this year’s Convention & Trade Show,
the group will reconvene at the upcoming NBWA Legislative Conference to be
held April 27-30, 2014, in Washington,
D.C.
For more information or to get involved
with the Next Generation Group, please
contact NBWA Meetings and Membership
Assistant Maggie Graham at mgraham@
nbwa.org.
NBWA Recognizes Winners of
“Share Your Story Contest” Highlighting
Beer Distribution Employees
J. J. Taylor Distributing Employees Receive Free Trip to NBWA’s 76th Annual Convention & Trade Show
for Winning Video
T
his year NBWA launched the
“Share Your Story Contest,” inviting beer distribution employees who
have never attended the NBWA Annual
Convention & Trade Show to submit
written or video entries. The contest
works to highlight many of the 130,000
men and women who make up the beer
distribution industry, from truck drivers,
inventory specialists and graphic artists
to sales representatives, fork lift drivers
and receptionists.
NBWA congratulates Kristin
Jones and Cristie Tiwari of J. J. Taylor
Companies, Inc., in Jupiter, Florida, who
submitted the winning video entry.
Jones
Tiwari
“Kristin and Cristie submitted a creative and compelling video in which
they discuss why they love working in
the beer distribution industry, what they
do and how J.J. Taylor provides value to
the community,”
s a i d N B WA
Pr e s i d e n t &
CEO Craig
Purser.
“The
American
beer distribution industry is
strong because
of the amazing people who
work in it and
the passion they
h a ve f o r t h e
work they do in communities across the
country,” Purser continued. “This video
exemplifies why we are all proud to be
a part of this great industry.”
“I’ve been working for the beer industry for about a year and I love it. The
beer industry is just so fun and exciting
and it’s always evolving,” said Jones, who
is a supplier accounts payable clerk.
Tiwari is an accounting assistant who
has been with the company for nearly
four years. “I started in HR and dabbled in IT and eventually in accounting,
which is another great thing about
this industry. There are a variety of job
opportunities,” she said.
“It’s not all just fun and beer though.
J. J. Taylor and other companies do a lot
for their communities,” Tiwari added.
The employees discussed J. J. Taylor’s
work with the Ronald McDonald
House, where a group of employees
served lunch to the children and families, and their work collecting more than
1,000 toys for the Marine Corps Toys
for Tots Drive.
Jones also praised the company’s tuition reimbursement program, as she is
considering going back to school to further her education.
Jones and Tiwari will be recognized
during the General Session on Monday,
September 30.
View their winning video entry on
NBWA’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/NBWABeer.
Congratulations to NBWA’s 2013
Life Service Award Recipients!
T
he NBWA Life Service Award is
given to beer distributors who have
dedicated a lifetime of service to the
industry, community and fellow distributors. This year, NBWA honors two
distinguished industry servants.
Joseph “Joe” DeMarco was born
in Philadelphia in 1935, and he served
as a Second Lieutenant in the United
States Army and as a First Lieutenant
in the New Jersey
National Guard
before joining his
family’s beer distribution business. In
1961, DeMarco was
appointed president
and CEO of High
Grade Beverage in
South Brunswick, New Jersey, a company
originally founded in New Brunswick by
his father, Nicholas DeMarco, and Harry
“Butch” Levine in 1940.
Under the leadership of DeMarco
and his wife Elizabeth, the company has
experienced tremendous growth. Today
High Grade Beverage serves a seven-plus
county area from two warehouses. Its
main storage facility has the capacity
to warehouse 550,000 cases of beer in
a controlled environmental warehouse
(CEW) plus an additional 250,000 cases
of inventory in the non-CEW warehouse
section. The barrel cooler with a constant
temperature of 36 degrees has room for
8,800 barrels of draught beer. In addition to the warehouse, the company has
10,000 square feet of office space at this
facility. In order to manage the incremental sales in Northern Jersey, a facility in
Randolph replicates the design and operation of the South Brunswick enterprise
and accounts for approximately one-half
of the entire volume of High Grade
Beverage’s business.
The family nature of the business
continues today with the naming of Joe
DeMarco’s son, Anthony DeMarco, as
High Grade Beverage’s president &
CEO in 2005, with Joe now serving as
Chairman of the Board of Directors.
In addition to decades of participation in the New York and New Jersey
state beer distributor associations,
DeMarco has devoted years of service as
a valuable member of the NBWA Board
of Directors. On top of his contributions to the beer distribution industry,
he has served as a true example to others
in his work with countless community
organizations. From his work with St.
Peter’s Medical Center to the American
Cancer Society, Knights of Columbus
and New Brunswick Elks, he is a true
humanitarian and role model for other
business leaders.
William “Bill”
Olson is a Chicago
native and current
president of the
Associated Beer
Distr ibutors of
Illinois (ABDI).
Before joining
ABDI, Olson
developed his experience in government
affairs working for the Illinois Consumer
Finance Association and the Association
of Modern Banking in Illinois.
He began his career with ABDI in
January 1985 and, in the decades since
then, Olson has been a staunch advocate
for beer distributor interests and statebased alcohol regulation. He has served
as president of the Wholesale Beer
Association Executives and has been
an active representative on the NBWA
Industry Affairs Committee.
Olson has advocated tirelessly for
distributor independence, effective and
reasonable regulatory control and sensible tax policies. He also has opposed
efforts to deregulate alcohol and treat
it like all other commercial goods and
educated legislators and regulators on the
history of alcohol as a unique product.
Most notably, Olson has confronted
head on an issue in Illinois involving
ownership, vertical integration by beer
suppliers and the rights of small brewers.
Olson persevered through intense, and
some might say unprecedented, opposition by building a coalition of large and
small brewers, retailers and distributors to
help clarify the separate and distinct roles
of brewers and distributors. The compromise he helped achieve ensures that the
state’s small brewers can still self-distribute, while at the same time provides
strong three-tier protections for the state
of Illinois.
Tune in to NBWA-TV!
T
hat’s right, NBWA has its own exclusive news team! While in your room
at Caesars, tune in to Ch. 22 and watch NBWA-TV newscasts featuring stories on distributors hiring veterans, NBWA’s Next Generation Group,
beer pairing dinners and more! Distributors have great stories to tell and our
reporters have been busy interviewing, filming and documenting unique stories
and exciting industry developments.
NBWA-TV reporters will be scouting the Convention and
Trade Show covering all the excitement. If you see the team,
stop and share your Convention experience – maybe YOU
will be the next NBWA-TV star!
5 Ways to Become a Stronger Beer
Distributor Advocate!
A
merica’s beer distributors have great stories to tell. You are small,
independent business owners and employers who are active in your
communities and champions of environmental sustainability – plus,
you help brewers of all sizes grow and thousands of labels of beer get
to market. By being an engaged and active member of NBWA, you can
help ensure that distributor voices are heard on a wide range of issues –
in the halls of Congress and across America!
Here’s what you can do to become a stronger beer distributor advocate:
• Schedule a warehouse visit with elected leaders
and others: Let your representative see first-hand the
jobs you provide and the work you do. Contact NBWA
for help arranging these visits.
• Keep NBWA informed of your relationships with
members of Congress: Update your grassroots mobilization form to reflect your connections, especially for
newly elected representatives.
• Check the formula for member dues: It is important
that NBWA has the necessary resources to continue
Clockwise from top:
advocating for beer distribution businesses and the stateBeer distributors host Rep.
based regulatory system.
Dave Reichert (WA-8), Sen.
• Visit the NBWA Grassroots & Political Action Center:
David Vitter (LA) and Rep.
Ron Barber (AZ-2).
View contributions made to the NBWA PAC and disbursements made to federal candidates in your state,
along with other grassroots resources.
• Attend the NBWA Legislative Conference: Nothing beats a face-to-face meeting, so
follow up on a great warehouse visit by meeting with your members of Congress April 27- 30, 2014, in Washington, D.C.
Download the NBWA
Convention App!
Personalize your schedule of seminars and events; plan your Trade
Show experience with an interactive map and exhibitor listings; get
the latest updates from NBWA; follow the #NBWAVegas conversation
on social media; network with friends and share your event photos
in the photo gallery!
• For iPhone and Android: Visit the App Store or Play Store on
your phone and search “NBWA.”
• For All Web-Enabled Devices: Enter http://m.core-apps.com/
nbwa2013 into your mobile browser to be automatically
directed to the proper download for your device.
• Or scan the QR code in the image to the right!
Tax Talk:
Congressional
Outlook for Tax
Reform
By: Holly Lass
NBWA Senior Director, Legislative Affairs
A
s this went to print, members of
Congress, their staffs and lobbyists were gearing up for a very busy fall,
starting with the return of Congress
on September 9. The temperature in
Washington is cooling, but the heat in
the Capitol is sure to rise with a flurry
of congressional activity throughout the
fall months.
Before breaking for the August
recess, Congress focused on federal
spending issues: the debt limit; the
$1.2 trillion 10-year spending sequestration; appropriating funds for federal
government operations; and approval
in each chamber of a fiscal year 2014
budget. However, Congress did not
achieve any long-term agreements and
now faces difficult partisan negotiations
with short deadlines.
With fewer than 40 legislative days
remaining in 2013, Congress must
address federal spending for the fiscal
year that begins October 1 and an extension of the federal borrowing limit that
is expected to be reached by mid-October. The congressional tax-writing
committees will continue their work on
tax reform.
The answers to questions of when,
what, how and if tax reform discussions become legislative action remain
uncertain. House Ways and Means
Committee Chairman Dave Camp
(R-MI) and Senate Finance Committee
Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) both
have said they intend to move tax reform
measures through their committees in
the fall. In fact, Chairman Camp plans
to mark up legislation in his committee
in October, and his staff is actively working to prepare the legislation.
The two parties have differing goals
for tax reform. Republicans favor revenue-neutral reform, while Democrats
see reform as an opportunity to
raise significant additional tax revenue. Republicans currently are resistant
to raising additional taxes, but it is conceivable that they eventually could agree
to some small measure of tax increases as
the price for reforming the tax code. The
partisan disagreement over whether or
not tax reform should raise revenue is
one of the largest obstacles to enactment.
Chairman Camp is committed to
advancing comprehensive (corporate
and individual) tax reform through his
committee this year. However, despite
Camp’s intention to mark up the legislation in October, the timing of committee
action (and House floor consideration)
is uncertain in light of the other crucial
matters that Congress must address –
such as Syria, appropriations and the
debt limit.
Republican leaders in the House
continue to be nervous about floating individual tax reform proposals
that would raise the needed offsetting
revenue by cutting back on popular individual tax benefits. House Republicans
are aware that House Democrats, who
have been less than supportive of tax
reform, are likely to seek to score political points off of any concrete Republican
tax proposal. Accordingly, it is possible that the timing of tax reform in
the House of Representatives will slip
beyond this year.
The House and Senate tax-writing
committees have engaged in significant preparatory work for tax reform,
including holding hearings, releasing
broad options papers and issue-specific
discussion drafts, engaging in internal
discussions and requesting comments
from members of Congress and the
public.
Since tax reform is not expected to be
completed this year, the two tax-writing
Committees will likely continue their
tax reform efforts into next year.
NBWA continues to work closely
with members of Congress and key staff
to work to ensure that tax reform does
not adversely impact closely-held businesses. Specifically, NBWA is advocating
that tax reform should: be comprehensive, encompassing both businesses and
individuals; eliminate the economic distortions caused by the double taxation of
corporate income; maintain the ability
for businesses to use the last-in-first-out
(LIFO) method of inventory accounting; preserve the current rules that allow
businesses to recover their significant
capital investments by claiming depreciation or amortization deductions; and
avoid the inclusion of any provisions
that would have the effect of increasing
the estate or gift taxes.
Regardless of what unfolds with
Congress’ attempt to tackle tax reform
this fall, rest assured that NBWA is
closely monitoring these negotiations
and advocating for your business interests in Washington, D.C.
Record Number of Nominees for 2013
Craft Beer Distributor of the Year Award
W
ith craft beer’s tremendous growth
and independent beer distributors’ excitement for picking up new
craft brands, it is no surprise there
was a record number of nominees
for the Seventh Annual Craft
Beer Distributor of the Year
Award.
Consumers continue to
demonstrate their passion for
craft beer and appreciation
of the wide variety of flavors
beer has to offer, and America’s
more than 3,300 beer distributors
take great pride in serving as the vehicle
to market for these brands and providing
choice and variety to the consumer.
Congratulations to the following
companies who were nominated by fellow distributors, brewers and licensed
retail partners for going above and
beyond in their efforts to market,
sell and promote craft beer:
• 7G Distributing, LLC
Cedar Rapids, IA
• Ace Distributing
York, PA
• Beechwood Sales & Service
New Berlin, WI
• BountyBev
Nashville, TN
Brewers Association proudly presents:
World Beer Cup
2014
®
The most prestigious beer competition in the world
WorldBeerCup.org
National Beer Wholesalers Association
is a proud Endorser of World Beer Cup 2014
World Beer Cup
Gala Reception &
Awards Ceremony
Winners Announced
Saturday, April 11, 2014
Craft Brewers Conference
Denver, Colorado, USA
Registration Information:
WorldBeerCup.org
[email protected]
The World Beer Cup
is presented by the Brewers Association
www.BrewersAssociation.org
• Central States Beverage Co. Kansas City, MO
• DBI Beverage Sacramento West Sacramento, CA
• DBI Beverage San Francisco South San Francisco, CA
• DeCrescente Distributing Co.
Mechanicville, NY
• Euclid Beverage LLC North Aurora, IL
• Heart of America Beverage Company
Springfield, MO
• High Country Beverage Corp.
Loveland, CO
• J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida, Inc. Tampa, FL
• J.J. Taylor Distributing Minnesota, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
• Kohler Distributing Co.
Hawthorne, NJ
• Manhattan Beer Distributors LLC Bronx, NY
• Massachusetts Beverage Alliance LLC
Randolph, MA
• Mims Distributing Co., Inc. Raleigh, NC
• Morris Distributing Co., Inc.
Petaluma, CA
• Muller, Inc. Philadelphia, PA
• Mussetter Distributing Inc.
Auburn, CA
• Oak Beverage Inc. Blauvelt, NY
• Origlio Beverage Philadelphia, PA
• Pepin Distributing Co.
Tampa, FL
• Powers Distributing Co., Inc. Orion, MI
• Shore Point Distributing Co., Inc.
Adelphia, NJ
• Town & Country Distributors Inc.
Itasca, IL
The Craft Beer Distributor of the
Year Award will be presented jointly by
NBWA and the Brewers Association
(BA) on October 12, 2013, at the Great
American Beer Festival, hosted by the
BA, in Denver, Colorado. In addition
to the Craft Beer Distributor of the
Year Award, a Craft Beer Achievement
Award (first runner-up) and Craft Beer
Distributor Recognition Award (second
runner-up) also will be presented.
NBWA Participates in
2013 Beer Bloggers Conference
T
he National Beer Wholesalers
Association (NBWA) was proud
to serve as one of the sponsors for the
2013 Beer Bloggers Conference which
took place July 26 – 28 in Boston,
Massachusetts.
The fourth annual conference was
an opportunity for beer bloggers, beer
writers, industry bloggers and other beer
and social media professionals to gather
from across the country to meet, learn,
taste and share.
NBWA Communications Director
Kathleen Joyce attended the conference to interact with the bloggers in
attendance and learn more about how
beer industry issues are being discussed
online using social media.
“The Beer Bloggers Conference is a
great opportunity for those who write
about various aspects of the beer industry to meet face-to-face with industry
members and other beer lovers with
whom they regularly communicate
online,” said Joyce.
NBWA sponsored a beer pairing
lunch where the conference’s 150 attendees heard from Ray Laning, a Certified
Cicerone® and specialty portfolio area
sales manager for Craft Brewers Guild
of Boston, part of the L. Knife family of
distributors.
By guiding attendees through a fourcourse food and beer pairing, Laning
demonstrated one way that distributors
work to educate consumers about new
beers and work to promote each beer
label they sell.
A special feature of this year’s conference included a “live beer blogging”
session at Burke Distributing, organized
by the company’s specialty craft division
World Class Beer Massachusetts, which
was among the conference sponsors.
Bloggers tasted and live blogged after
Beer bloggers attend a beer and food pairing
lunch hosted by NBWA and a live beer blogging
event held at Burke Distributing during the 2013
Beer Bloggers Conference.
sampling beers poured by 10 different
breweries. Many of the bloggers had
never seen the inside of a beer distribution warehouse before their visit to
Burke.
“The live beer blogging session inside
the Burke Distributing warehouse gave
the bloggers a firsthand look at the role
that beer distributors play and how they
support choice and value by helping
thousands of labels of beer get to market for consumers to enjoy,” Joyce added.
“They also heard from President Bill
Burke, who spoke about the industry
from the perspective of a family-run
business.”
Photos from the conference are
available online on the NBWA
Facebook page at www.facebook.com/
NBWABeer.
Virginia Beer Distributors Sponsor Alcohol Awareness Class for Fort Lee
Army Officers
B
rown Distributing Company of
Richmond, Virginia, and Pecht
Distributors Inc. of Lawrenceville,
Virginia, recently joined together to
co-sponsor an alcohol education course
for new Army officers at Fort Lee,
Virginia.
The course instructor was Rocco
“Rocky” Caponigro, a 90-year-old
World War II veteran who volunteers
his time sharing his expertise and
instructing a substance abuse class for
the Basic Officer Course at the U.S.
Army Logistics University. With great
energy and charisma, Caponigro delivered a fact-based, non-judgmental
lesson on the dangers of alcohol abuse.
Robbie Pecht of Pecht Distributors
attended the class and noted,
“Rocky provides a great example of the type of fact-based
alcohol education called for by Rocky Caponigro with U.S. Army officers
the authors of Toward Liquor
Control, the post-Prohibition book of his very impressive service record,”
re-published by the Center for Alcohol Pecht added. “Rocky acknowledges to
Policy.”
the officers that he drinks, but with a
“Rocky has extremely high credibility full understanding of how alcohol affects
with the officers, and not just because him and knowledge of the potential for
alcohol abuse; therefore, the officers
know up front that they are not going to
Center for Alcohol Policy’s Sixth Annual
hear a self-righteous exhortation about
the evils of alcohol.”
On Caponigro’s 90th birthday last
November, Maj. Gen. Larry D. Wyche,
Combined Arms Support Command
and Fort Lee Commanding General,
presented him with the General Brehon
B. Somervell Medallion of Excellence
October 23-25, 2013 • Washington, D.C.
recognizing Caponigro’s 70 years of
service to the Army. His service began
Be part of this authoritative program on
as a soldier in World War II when
important issues surrounding alcohol law,
Caponigro was a radio operator and forregulation and litigation.
ward observer. After separating from
Featuring:
active service, he continued to support
• Keynote speaker Nevada Attorney
the Army as a civilian employee as the
General Catherine Cortez Masto
installation alcohol and drug control
• Education sessions led by prominent
officer at forts Monmouth, New Jersey
attorneys, current and former
and Lee, Virginia.
regulators, academic thought leaders,
After his retirement, Caponigro conpublic health advocates and more
tinues to be an institution at Fort Lee.
• Continuing Legal Education credits
He is dedicated to his service and conpending, including an ethics credit
tinues to educate, mentor and counsel
soldiers and civilians. Even years later,
Caponigro receives messages from former student officers thanking him for
R
E
teaching them about alcohol use and
T
S
I
REG AY!
abuse and sharing stories of how he
D
www.CenterforAlcoholPolicy.org
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greatly impacted them as troops, as well
#CAPLaw
as personally.
Alcohol Law
Symposium
Cheers to Beer
Distributors
Celebrating Business Anniversaries!
General Distributors, Inc. of Oregon City, Oregon, was founded by
Charles A. Fick, Sr. and his brother George Fick, Sr. in 1933. During
Years
Prohibition, they ran “Fick Cigar Co.” and distributed candy, cigarettes
and cigars. After Prohibition’s repeal, they began selling the Olympia beer
brand. The company rented a warehouse in downtown Portland and had three
trucks, three delivery drivers, one office person and Charles and George Fick as
management and sales. According to current Vice President James Fick, his grandfather, Charles A. Fick, Sr., and his
grandmother sold their house and moved in with their parents to raise the capital needed to start the company. Today, the
company employs more than 120 team members, has 25 daily delivery routes and sells more than 600 brands of beer, wine
and non-alcoholic beverages from more than 90 suppliers. In addition to MillerCoors, Crown Imports and Mike’s Hard
Lemonade products, the company distributes beer from more than 25 craft breweries, including Sierra Nevada, Green
Flash, Fish Brewing, No-Li and Alameda Brewing. Third- and fourth-generation family members are now involved in
the company, which plans a picnic to celebrate this milestone.
80
Durdach Bros., Inc. was founded in 1938 in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, by Richard
Durdach’s father and uncle. In 1965, they moved the company to Paxinos, where its
Years
headquarters are today. In 1981, Richard took over the family business, which had
12 employees. Since then, the business has expanded to 70 full-time, part-time and
seasonal employees. Durdach Bros. services a 12-country area and serves more than 100
retailers and more than 1,000 on-premise customers. In addition to supporting other local
businesses, the company contributes to its community by supporting a variety of organizations, including raising more
than $140,000 for St. Jude and an additional $110,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Research. Durdach attributes the company’s
growth and success to great employees and their passion for what they do.
75
Heidelberg Distributing marked 75 years in business with a series of galas to thank the
company’s 1,600 associates. What began with “one man and one truck” by Albert Vontz in
Dayton, Ohio, in 1938, has grown to include nine locations in both Ohio and Kentucky.
Years
Vontz started the family-owned company driving a truck between Dayton and the Heidelberg
Brewery in Covington, Kentucky, delivering Student Prince and Heirloom Beer from 1938 to
1946. After the brewery was sold in 1946, Vontz stayed in business keeping the Heidelberg name
to save on stationary and the cost of painting his trucks. Heidelberg now carries close to 1,000 different
brands of beer and has facilities in Cincinnati, Dayton, Evendale, Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, Lorain, Youngstown
and Hebron, Kentucky.
75
Premium Beverage Sales was founded in 1973 by Richard E. Gelner to service
Southwest Missouri. The company began with just three drivers and a part-time warehouseman and distributed Miller High Life and Hamm’s beer brands. Today, it employs
Years
60 team members selling more than 200 brands from 20 suppliers. Second generation
leaders, brothers Brian and Mark Gelner, are both very active in the industry. Brian represents the state of Missouri on the NBWA Board of Directors and participates in Missouri Beer Wholesaler
Association’s legislative efforts, while Mark is a Certified Cicerone® who specializes in craft beer. The company strives
to be an asset in the community and has longstanding relationships with numerous charities. Premium Beverage Sales
will celebrate this milestone with a party for team members and close associates in October.
40
Distributors Promote Fan Responsibility
A
t sporting venues and concert facilities across the country, NBWA and
beer distributors are teaming up with
the TEAM Coalition to encourage
responsible consumption of alcoholic
beverages. TEAM stands for Techniques
for Effective Alcohol Management.
The coalition is an alliance of 21 groups
working together to keep fans safe, while
having fun. In addition to NBWA, the
members include professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities,
concessionaires, stadium service providers, the licensed beverage industry,
broadcasters and governmental traffic
safety experts.
While distributors participate in a
wide range of responsibility programs,
here are a few examples of their work
with the TEAM Coalition:
a designated driver.” Amoskeag also
secured 345 fans to make the pledge to
be a designated driver a few weeks later
at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway.
Amoskeag Beverages LLC in New
Hampshire participated with TEAM at
the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 race
at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
to reward responsible NASCAR fans.
At a recent race, 357 fans made the
pledge to be a designated driver for their
group. All of them had the opportunity
to receive a free souvenir photo, instant
prizes and a chance to be selected as the
Designated Driver of the Race.
“We are very proud of the great beers
we sell for all of the NASCAR fans to
consume,” said Ed Murphy, general
manager and vice president of sales for
Amoskeag Beverages LLC. “However,
along with that comes great responsibility. We thank all of you for choosing
Silver Eagle Distributors promoted
responsibility at the 2013 NBA All Star
Game and Jam Session in Houston,
Texas. Nearly 5,000 fans made the
Responsibility Has Its Rewards pledge.
Fans who pledged autographed a larger-than-life basketball and received a
souvenir photo with a branded frame
including the campaign partners’ logos
J.J. Taylor Companies worked with
TEAM to promote safety at Futbol 5
stadium in Tampa, Florida. Soccer fans
attending
2013 Copa
Univision
were invited to
make a pledge
never to drive
drunk and
always have a designated driver. Those
who signed up received a souvenir
photo, and their names were included
in a large display.
Beer Distributors Who Have
Partnered with the Team
Coalition for 2012-2013:
Amoskeag Beverages, LLC
Ben E. Keith Company
Bob Hall LLC
Capital Eagle, Inc.
County Beverage Co., Inc.
Hensley Beverage Company
The House of LaRose
J.J. Taylor Companies, Inc.
Schatz Distributing Co., Inc.
Silver Eagle Distributors, LP
Zink Distributing Co., LLC
and the campaign’s responsibility
message.
Keep Up With NBWA at
NBWA.org!
N
BWA’s website – www.nbwa.org – highlights
the economic, commercial and regulatory
value of America’s 3,300 licensed, independent
beer distributors. The site offers a wide range of
content including:
•
•
•
•
Daily News Scroll
Educational Videos
Informational Brochures
Industry Studies
•
•
•
•
Event Details
Press Releases
Beer Pairing Tips
Photo Galleries
Visit www.nbwa.org today and check out these features and more!
NBWA Earns Association and Staff Honors
D
ay in and day out, NBWA staff
works tirelessly to advocate for the
three-tier system and to promote the
value of independent beer distributors.
The staff takes great pride in working for
– and with – NBWA’s distributor members. The team also enjoys working for
America’s beer distributors. So, it was
an extra honor when NBWA’s work and
staff members received national recognition this year from policy leaders and
others in the association community.
Top Association Recognition
NBWA was named the most effective
trade association for speaking with a
“unified voice” and for representing the
voices and views of the members and the
entire industry.
NBWA was among nine associations
that made the top-tier list, which included
large associations like PhRMA, the
U.S. Chamber, U.S. Travel Association,
Business
Roundtable,
America’s Health
Insurance Plans
and Consumer
Electronics
Association.
Consulting
giant APCO Worldwide conducted the
survey, asking 450 policy leaders about
50 major trade associations, which was
narrowed from a larger list of nominees.
NBWA’s ranking was covered by several publications in Washington, D.C.
– including Politico and The Hill – which
are read by members of Congress and
other influential leaders in the nation’s
capital.
Without engaged members who are
dedicated to speaking with a unified
voice and working toward a unified goal,
NBWA could not have received this
distinction!
Rising Star Award
The American Society of Association
Executives presented the Rising Star
Award to NBWA
Vice President of
Communications
& Public Affairs
Rebecca Spicer.
The award recognizes a young
professional in the
association sphere
who is “one to watch” because of her
contributions to the association profession and promise of future leadership.
“ We at NBWA have known of
Rebecca’s leadership and service for
several years. It is great to see her
recognized by colleagues and the association community as well,” said NBWA
President & CEO Craig Purser. “She
makes the association industry stronger
through her hard work, dedication and
promise for the future. She gives back to
the community in countless ways, always
working to advance her organization’s
interest while helping others.”
Before joining NBWA in 2007,
Spicer served in the White House as
Associate Director of Communications.
She also spent 12 years in television
news, most recently at WJLA-TV in
Washington, D.C., where she received
several awards including an Emmy
Award nomination for coverage on
September 11, 2001. Spicer worked
in several other markets, including
Houston; Hartford; Birmingham; and
Atlanta. She began her career as a high
school intern helping with “Snow Bird”
school cancellations at WSMV-TV in
her hometown, Nashville, Tennessee.
Spicer is a graduate of the University
of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee,
where she has served on the Board of
Trustees and as reunion chair. Spicer also
holds a degree in Telecommunications
from Indiana University in Bloomington.
Additionally, she serves on the National
Advisory Council for the Harpeth Hall
School in Nashville, Tennessee, and on
the Salvation Army Advisory Board of
the National Capital Region.
Young & Aspiring Professional
Award
Association TRENDS recognized
NBWA Senior Director of State &
Industry Affairs David Christman as
a 2013 Young & Aspiring Association
Professional. Association TRENDS is
the national newspaper for association
e x e c u t i ve s a n d
suppliers, spotlighting the latest
news, information and trends in
association management for the
professional staff
of international,
national, state, regional and local voluntary organizations.
The TRENDS Young & Aspiring
Association Professionals represent the
present and future of association management. They are nominated by senior
executives and peers, who have noticed
their contributions and leadership.
Since joining NBWA in 2001,
Christman has worked in several roles,
including government affairs and political affairs before state and industry
affairs. He also has served in a number of professional leadership roles.
Christman has served as the executive director of the Beer Industry
Electronic Commerce Coalition since
2007; he is a board member for the State
Government Affairs Council as well as
the Responsible Hospitality Institute;
and he is a member of the Washington
Area State Relations Group.
As a result of Christman’s efforts,
NBWA holds leadership positions
in multiple national organizations of
state legislators, governors, attorneys
generals and others. As part of these
groups, NBWA has been successful in
complimenting the work of state beer
distributor associations by fostering
relationships and achieving support for
state laws within these national groups.
Member
Services
Take Advantage of Valuable
NBWA Member Services!
C
heck out NBWA’s member programs, along with information on
existing services and products that can
help grow your distribution business,
compare your company’s productivity
to others in the industry or save money
on energy:
NBWA’s Go-toGuide for Beer
Distributors
Looking for
products and
services to meet
your business
needs? NBWA helps beer distributors
cut through the clutter of traditional
search engine results with the Go-toGuide for Beer Distributors.
The Go-to-Guide offers targeted
searches using either a keyword or
a directory search by product category. The user-friendly format of the
guide makes it an efficient resource for
beer distributors to find the products
and services they need as quickly as
possible.
Visit www.nbwa.org today to see
how the Go-to-Guide can work for
you!
Who’s Who
in Beer
Distributing
NBWA publishes its official
membership
directory annually, providing
the industry
with comprehensive information about
distributorships across the United
States, NBWA associate members,
state associations and more. The
directory lists more than 3,000 beer
distributors and suppliers to the industry. To order an additional copy, please
contact Sr. Manager of Membership
Development Meghan Cassidy at
[email protected].
other year, is currently available for
purchase.
Order your 2012 copy today
by downloading an order form at
www.nbwa.org or by contacting
Membership and Meetings Assistant
Maggie Graham at mgraham@nbwa.
org.
Distributor Productivity Report
NBWA offers members the
Distributor Productivity Report, an
industry-wide research effort designed
to serve as an actionable tool for firms
to evaluate their
company’s operating results in
order to pinpoint strengths,
weaknesses and
improvement
opportunities.
The 2013
Distributor
Productivity Report survey was completed this year. Stay turned for the
new report available this fall.
Please contact Membership and
Meetings Assistant Maggie Graham
at [email protected] with any
questions.
Hiring Solutions
NBWA partner Global HR
Research is a leader in integrated hiring, pre-employment screening and
substance abuse testing technology,
in addition to
mitigating overall
risk. Global HR
Research offers
NBWA members with discounted
pricing to help distributors hire the
best employees, while adhering to
the highest security standards in the
industry maintained through the most
advanced, secure technology practices
available. Global HR Research also
offers complimentary webinars highlighting all aspects of hiring solutions
for NBWA members.
Compensation and Benefits Study
The Compensation and Benefits
Study allows NBWA members to
easily compare
their compensation levels
and benefits
policies with
similar distributors. The study,
published every
Energy Buyers
Program
The Affiliated
Power Purchasers
International
(APPI) Saving
Solutions Program
continues to assist beer distributors
with identifying and implementing
business options that reduce energy
and utility costs. To learn more, please
contact APPI at (800) 520-6685
or [email protected].
NBWA Continues to Expand Member
Insurance Program Offerings
New BevCap Health Program Provides High-Value Benefits Solution for Employers
T
he Casualty Insurance Program
underwritten by Sparta Insurance
exclusively for NBWA members continues to grow and flourish with new
members joining the program. NBWA
Insurance Program provider BevCap
Management hosted its Sixth Annual
Safety Summit in Orlando, Florida,
which was open to NBWA members.
More than 15 safety and loss control
professionals presented on topics ranging from distracted driving to health care
and Occupational Safety and Health
Administration inspections. NBWA
members also will be invited to attend
the BevCap Best Practices Workshop to
be held in April 2014.
“Though we were not customers of
BevCap when we started attending the
annual safety summit, we came away
with so many safety innovations that
we entered into a business relationship
with Lance and his team at BevCap,”
said Jack Gant of Kramer Beverage Co.
in New Jersey. “We expect to continue
our relationship for years to come and
are excited about being on the forefront
of creating and maintain a safe work
environment for all of our employees.”
With the success of the Casualty
Insurance Program and the current
health insurance climate, NBWA
is pleased to announce the addition
of BevCap Health as an option for
NBWA members. BevCap Health is
a member-driven strategy to provide
a high-value, transparent health benefits solution for employers based on the
desire to gain better control and reduce
the costs associated with employee
health care benefits, one of the largest
expenditures of your business.
BevCap Health is an opportunity for
employers to aggregate, share best practices, mitigate risk and bend the trend to
reduce the long-term cost of
healthcare benefits.
BevCap Health is a selffunded health plan with
group risk sharing. Its benefits strategy allows members to
achieve the transition to individual employer self-funded
health plans, if not already
self-funded. Once self-funded,
members implement
separate and distinct
health plan designs,
yet administer the
plans as a group –
leveraging the buying
power of economies
of scale. This precise,
data-driven health
benefit and risk management solution
would not otherwise
be available to you on
an individual plan basis. The standard
market simply does not provide for this
high value strategy.
BevCap’s strategy is designed to correct the deficiencies driving dramatic
year-over-year cost increases in the fully-insured market and to help optimize
current self-funded plans. These leading
tools were previously only available for
the largest employers who could afford
to opt out of the fully-insured marketplace by adopting a self-funded health
plan. Without self-funding, employers
have few other options that can deliver
this opportunity to bend the trend and
gain control of your long-term risk
financing.
“The BevCap Group Health program
provides Andrews with a toolbox of individual benefits that will not only allow us
to actively manage claims costs but also
provide the highest degree of wellness
Attendees learn from safety and loss
control professionals at BevCap’s Sixth
Annual Safety Summit.
for our employees,” said John Coy of
Andrews Distributing Co. in Texas.
Steven Busch of Krey Distributing
Co. in Missouri added, “We are happy to
be part of a health care captive that provides control and transparency when it
comes to health insurance. The BevCap
Health Captive allows us to provide our
employees with excellent health insurance at an affordable price and mitigate
health insurance cost increases.”
For more information on NBWA
Insurance Program offerings and the
upcoming BevCap Best Practices
Workshop, stop by Booth #245 in the
Forum Ballroom during the Trade Show
on Monday and Tuesday afternoons.
Mark your calendars for NBWA’s 2014 Legislative
Conference in Washington, D.C., April 27-30, 2014.
Be a part of NBWA’s 77th Annual Convention in
New Orleans, Louisiana, Sept. 28-Oct. 1, 2014!