Company address: W222 N5700 Miller Way, Sussex, WI
Industry: Beer distributor
Number of employees: 150
Education: Attended Carthage College
Family: Wife, Dawn, who works for Miller Brewing Co.
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?“We continued pursuing the purchase of three family beer distributors for consolidation. We continue to target new products and existing products in all of our areas. We want to have key brands in each category of the malt beverage business.”
What’s new at your company?“With the addition of not only two new distributorships, we continue to seek out new products to give variety to our customers, like Aly Asylum and Tyranena craft beer from Wisconsin. Also, building brands like Miller Lite, Leinenkugel’s, Coors Light and Pabst. We have a few new suppliers and making sure we do justice to all brands is key to us.”
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?“We plan on having more staff as we have done over the past 20 years. We also continue to expand our fleet of tractor trailers and special event equipment to service our four-county area. We will also look into expanding the Sussex facility in the next year to accommodate not only our purchases but our increase in growth to existing brands. As our team grows in the market share, we also increase our service ability.”
What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?“Holding the cost to our employees on health care is a continuing concern for our companies. As all businesses, we continue looking at how to reduce costs to deliver our quality products the most efficiently. Gas, of course, continues to be a concern of anyone in the distribution business.”
What’s the hottest trend in your industry?“Craft and new innovations. Craft beers are on a great roll. We, as a family-owned distributor for over 70 years, see this category to continue to grow. The 21- to 27-year-olds have changing taste buds, and they want more flavor. This is why craft and brands like Miller Lite continue to grow. Innovatives like Miller Chill, Blue Moon and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy had a great year. Also Milwaukeeans like to drink Wisconsin-made products like Miller, Pabst, Capital, Lakefront, Point, Tyranena, Aly Asylum. We see these trends continuing for several years. We also see brand and packing innovation continuing to be keys, like Coors’ cold-activated bottles and their cold can liner.”
Do you have a business mantra?“Delivering excellence in quality and taste.”
From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?“My father and grandfathers. They all set the pace. My one grandfather was a beer distributor, and the other owned a dairy and distribution business. They truly had the American dream. My father was wise enough to show his kids everything about the business to keep it growing, and we use many of the ideas he had back then.”
What was the best advice you ever received?“From my father … that everything works out for the best if you are honest with yourself and your people.”
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you in your career?“I was doing a sampling one night, and it was a corked bottle of beer, and the cork broke off, so instead of pulling it out from the top I pushed it in, and yes, it went all over the ceiling and the people around me. We all laughed, and it sold very well!”
What do you like to do in your free time?“My favorites are golfing and flying my twin-engine plane and taking time to relax with my wife, Dawn.”
