Andreas Gembler Retires
Seamus McBride, former president, North America of Colgate-Palmolive, is replacing Andreas Gembler as Bacardi’s new president and ceo, effective September 1. Rumors have swirled for several months that Bacardi had appointed headhunters to fine a replacement for Gembler, but it was believed Gembler would move to a senior executive role on the board. However, Bacardi announced today that Gembler will retire after leading the company in a “smooth transition” in handing over the reigns to McBride.
The Scotsman quoted one analyst in June saying: “They [Bacardi] missed out on Absolut, they were not involved in the Allied deal and maybe there is a little bit of concern that the big deals are passing them by and they need someone more aggressive at the helm.”
“But it must be very difficult for if you work for Bacardi and see an acquisition. It is hard to raise a lot of money because your hands are constantly tied as the family do not want to float.”
Recall that earlier this year Graham Tetherington, formerly finance director at Allied Domecq, quit eight months after taking a job at Bacardi.
McBride has an impressive resume. He led Colgate’s business operations in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and directed Colgate’s global commercial effectiveness program. He has more than 25 years of marketing and management experience at Colgate, said Bacardi, in positions of increasing responsibility in North America, Europe and Asia. In addition, he spent four years as marketing director for beer producer, Bass Plc.
“We want to thank Andreas for his extraordinary leadership and many contributions to Bacardi Limited. During each year of his tenure, our Company produced record sales, earnings from operations and net income. Andreas set the Company on a transformative path that will serve us well into the future,” said chairman Facundo L. Bacardi.
To read our coverage of the news this morning, click here.
WIRTZ ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM AND HEADQUARTERS
The Wirtz Beverage Group today announced a leadership team for the company’s national portfolio of wine, spirit and beer distributorships. The team, which will direct more than 3,000 employees and $1.5 billion in annual sales, will be headed by W. Rockwell “Rocky” Wirtz. It will include:
• W. Rockwell Wirtz: President
• Ed Callison: Senior Vice President
• Don Pydo: Vice President, Business Operations
• Glen Hoch: Vice President, Finance and Strategic Development
• Danny Wirtz: Vice President, Spirits Marketing and Sales
• Ken Fredrickson: Vice President, Fine Wine Marketing and Sales
• Tabatha Vece: Director, Human Resources
• Jennifer Gera: Director, Strategic Planning
These executives will assist Wirtz affiliates in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin. They will mainly focus on managing the company’s strategic vision, which is “to become the leading luxury and premium beverage alcohol wholesaler by 2012.” The newly-established company headquarters will be in downtown Chicago alongside parent company, Wirtz Corporation.
“Our new model will involve technology, efficiency, value and, of course, one goal…to be the leading beverage distributor in the United States,” said Rocky Wirtz. “Our suppliers and customers expect nothing less. And, we will deliver nothing less.”
In a related move, Wirtz appointed Julian Burzynski as senior vice president and general manager of Judge & Dolph, LLC of Illinois. Recall that Judge & Dolph is a newly formed partnership with Texas-based Glazer’s Distributors.
Wirtz Beverage Group holdings is currently ranked sixth among U.S. spirits and wine distributors in 2007, according to Impact.
SPI GROUP REJECTS BID FOR STOLI
SPI Group, owners of Stolichnaya, has rejected a bid from US firm Frank Pesce International Group, reports Just-Drinks.com. The bid was set at $1 billion and rejected a couple of weeks ago, according to managing member Frank Pesce. Recall that Pesce is the exclusive importer of Russian vodka brand Cristall in the U.S.
“SPI informed Pesce, he said, that the brand was ‘not for sale at the present time’ and that its value ‘far exceeded’ the offer made. He added that he was unable to improve the offer unless SPI released more substantial information on Stolichnaya's recent market performance,” said Just-Drinks.
Analysts have said that a US company is most likely to acquire Stoli if there is a deal at all. However, ongoing disputes with the Russian government could scare potential bidders away.
A report last week in Russian newspaper Kommersant suggests the government was looking to increase its control over Stoli and several other vodka brands. SPI owner Yury Shefler was also quoted in the Kommersant newspaper as saying he was "ready to seek compromise with the Russian government."
Pesce also told Just-Drinks that he believed the Russian government would have to be "brought in" for a successful sale.
Other possible candidates for Stoli include Beam Global, Bacardi and possibly Brown-Forman.
DON SEBASTIANI & SONS LAUNCHES NEW CABERNET
Don Sebastiani & Sons is introducing a new “Cabernet-centric” wine brand called “B Side.” The Cabernets offered under the B Side label will be sourced from lesser known areas within premier appellations that have established a reputation for growing world-class Bordeaux varietals, said to Donny Sebastiani, marketing director for Don & Sons.
“Back in the days of vinyl, and later cassette tapes, fans discovered some of the most timeless musical treasures on the flip side, or the B Side of their favorite album,” he continued. “Likewise, some of the very best wines come from vineyards off the beaten path — the B side of the appellations.”
The first B Side Cabernet Sauvignon to be released is a 2005 vintage featuring grapes grown on the eastern slopes of Napa Valley.
B Side Cabernet Sauvignons will be offered in “very small lots” at price points from $20 to $30 a bottle and sold mainly at upscale restaurants and key independent retailers.
CLIMATE CHANGES COULD MAKE MENDOCINO THE NEXT NAPA
New evidence suggests Mendocino County could transform into a higher quality grape growing region than Sonoma or even Napa due to climate changes. The conventional wisdom is that Mendocino vineyards are too hot to produce quality grapes, but expert analysis of 50 years shows that the Ukiah Valley is now a cooler region than Napa, according to the Press Democrat. At the same time, Napa and Sonoma are reportedly getting warmer.
To read more, click here.
WSD BRIEFS:
GEORGE WASHINGTON’S DISTLLERY is selling whiskey starting today (August 4), according to Discus. Gov. Tim Kaine signed special legislation to permit Mount Vernon to sell spirits products in the gift shops at the Distillery and the Mansion visitors’ center as a special Virginia State ABC store. Going on sale are special $25 George Washington Distillery commemorative gift sets and famous brands including Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey and Maker’s Mark.
WTN SERVICES HAS APPOINTED Matt Wood as vp in charge of all retail and consumer operations for their Ambrosia consumer-direct luxury wine services. Matt was previously vp, retail operations, for Icon Estates and was responsible for all consumer direct sales at Icon Estates, which includes eight tasting rooms, twelve websites, and eight wine clubs.
LVMH APPOINTED RENAUD DUTREIL AS CHAIRMAN, effective September 1. He will be based in NYC and represent the group in North America, notably to public authorities and business community.
Until tomorrow, Megan
“Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing.”
Robert Benchley
--------- Sell Day Calendar ----------
Today’s Sell Day: 2
Sell days this month: 21
Sell days this month last year: 23
This month ends on a: Fri
This month last year ended on a: Fri.
YTD sell days Over/Under: +1
WINE & SPIRITS DAILY
Subscribe or check back issues at: www.winespiritsdaily.com
Send news and comments in confidence to: megan@winespiritsdaily.com
© 2008 Wine & Spirits Daily, all rights reserved. May quote with attribution.
The Scotsman quoted one analyst in June saying: “They [Bacardi] missed out on Absolut, they were not involved in the Allied deal and maybe there is a little bit of concern that the big deals are passing them by and they need someone more aggressive at the helm.”
“But it must be very difficult for if you work for Bacardi and see an acquisition. It is hard to raise a lot of money because your hands are constantly tied as the family do not want to float.”
Recall that earlier this year Graham Tetherington, formerly finance director at Allied Domecq, quit eight months after taking a job at Bacardi.
McBride has an impressive resume. He led Colgate’s business operations in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and directed Colgate’s global commercial effectiveness program. He has more than 25 years of marketing and management experience at Colgate, said Bacardi, in positions of increasing responsibility in North America, Europe and Asia. In addition, he spent four years as marketing director for beer producer, Bass Plc.
“We want to thank Andreas for his extraordinary leadership and many contributions to Bacardi Limited. During each year of his tenure, our Company produced record sales, earnings from operations and net income. Andreas set the Company on a transformative path that will serve us well into the future,” said chairman Facundo L. Bacardi.
To read our coverage of the news this morning, click here.
WIRTZ ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM AND HEADQUARTERS
The Wirtz Beverage Group today announced a leadership team for the company’s national portfolio of wine, spirit and beer distributorships. The team, which will direct more than 3,000 employees and $1.5 billion in annual sales, will be headed by W. Rockwell “Rocky” Wirtz. It will include:
• W. Rockwell Wirtz: President
• Ed Callison: Senior Vice President
• Don Pydo: Vice President, Business Operations
• Glen Hoch: Vice President, Finance and Strategic Development
• Danny Wirtz: Vice President, Spirits Marketing and Sales
• Ken Fredrickson: Vice President, Fine Wine Marketing and Sales
• Tabatha Vece: Director, Human Resources
• Jennifer Gera: Director, Strategic Planning
These executives will assist Wirtz affiliates in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin. They will mainly focus on managing the company’s strategic vision, which is “to become the leading luxury and premium beverage alcohol wholesaler by 2012.” The newly-established company headquarters will be in downtown Chicago alongside parent company, Wirtz Corporation.
“Our new model will involve technology, efficiency, value and, of course, one goal…to be the leading beverage distributor in the United States,” said Rocky Wirtz. “Our suppliers and customers expect nothing less. And, we will deliver nothing less.”
In a related move, Wirtz appointed Julian Burzynski as senior vice president and general manager of Judge & Dolph, LLC of Illinois. Recall that Judge & Dolph is a newly formed partnership with Texas-based Glazer’s Distributors.
Wirtz Beverage Group holdings is currently ranked sixth among U.S. spirits and wine distributors in 2007, according to Impact.
SPI GROUP REJECTS BID FOR STOLI
SPI Group, owners of Stolichnaya, has rejected a bid from US firm Frank Pesce International Group, reports Just-Drinks.com. The bid was set at $1 billion and rejected a couple of weeks ago, according to managing member Frank Pesce. Recall that Pesce is the exclusive importer of Russian vodka brand Cristall in the U.S.
“SPI informed Pesce, he said, that the brand was ‘not for sale at the present time’ and that its value ‘far exceeded’ the offer made. He added that he was unable to improve the offer unless SPI released more substantial information on Stolichnaya's recent market performance,” said Just-Drinks.
Analysts have said that a US company is most likely to acquire Stoli if there is a deal at all. However, ongoing disputes with the Russian government could scare potential bidders away.
A report last week in Russian newspaper Kommersant suggests the government was looking to increase its control over Stoli and several other vodka brands. SPI owner Yury Shefler was also quoted in the Kommersant newspaper as saying he was "ready to seek compromise with the Russian government."
Pesce also told Just-Drinks that he believed the Russian government would have to be "brought in" for a successful sale.
Other possible candidates for Stoli include Beam Global, Bacardi and possibly Brown-Forman.
DON SEBASTIANI & SONS LAUNCHES NEW CABERNET
Don Sebastiani & Sons is introducing a new “Cabernet-centric” wine brand called “B Side.” The Cabernets offered under the B Side label will be sourced from lesser known areas within premier appellations that have established a reputation for growing world-class Bordeaux varietals, said to Donny Sebastiani, marketing director for Don & Sons.
“Back in the days of vinyl, and later cassette tapes, fans discovered some of the most timeless musical treasures on the flip side, or the B Side of their favorite album,” he continued. “Likewise, some of the very best wines come from vineyards off the beaten path — the B side of the appellations.”
The first B Side Cabernet Sauvignon to be released is a 2005 vintage featuring grapes grown on the eastern slopes of Napa Valley.
B Side Cabernet Sauvignons will be offered in “very small lots” at price points from $20 to $30 a bottle and sold mainly at upscale restaurants and key independent retailers.
CLIMATE CHANGES COULD MAKE MENDOCINO THE NEXT NAPA
New evidence suggests Mendocino County could transform into a higher quality grape growing region than Sonoma or even Napa due to climate changes. The conventional wisdom is that Mendocino vineyards are too hot to produce quality grapes, but expert analysis of 50 years shows that the Ukiah Valley is now a cooler region than Napa, according to the Press Democrat. At the same time, Napa and Sonoma are reportedly getting warmer.
To read more, click here.
WSD BRIEFS:
GEORGE WASHINGTON’S DISTLLERY is selling whiskey starting today (August 4), according to Discus. Gov. Tim Kaine signed special legislation to permit Mount Vernon to sell spirits products in the gift shops at the Distillery and the Mansion visitors’ center as a special Virginia State ABC store. Going on sale are special $25 George Washington Distillery commemorative gift sets and famous brands including Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey and Maker’s Mark.
WTN SERVICES HAS APPOINTED Matt Wood as vp in charge of all retail and consumer operations for their Ambrosia consumer-direct luxury wine services. Matt was previously vp, retail operations, for Icon Estates and was responsible for all consumer direct sales at Icon Estates, which includes eight tasting rooms, twelve websites, and eight wine clubs.
LVMH APPOINTED RENAUD DUTREIL AS CHAIRMAN, effective September 1. He will be based in NYC and represent the group in North America, notably to public authorities and business community.
Until tomorrow, Megan
“Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing.”
Robert Benchley
--------- Sell Day Calendar ----------
Today’s Sell Day: 2
Sell days this month: 21
Sell days this month last year: 23
This month ends on a: Fri
This month last year ended on a: Fri.
YTD sell days Over/Under: +1
WINE & SPIRITS DAILY
Subscribe or check back issues at: www.winespiritsdaily.com
Send news and comments in confidence to: megan@winespiritsdaily.com
© 2008 Wine & Spirits Daily, all rights reserved. May quote with attribution.
posted at 12:58 PM
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