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34 WINES&VINES September 2017 DISTRIBUTOR MARKET 2017 Johnson Brothers Liquor Co. Headquarters: St. Paul, Minn. States served: 22 Offices: 30 U.S. wineries represented: 135 CEO: Michael Johnson COO: Todd Johnson Johnson Brothers Liquor Co. is a full-service beverage distributor shipping wine, beer, spir- its, non-alcoholic beverages and water to stores and restaurants in 22 states, particularly in the upper Midwest and Southwest regions. John- son Brothers entered the New York and West Virginia markets this year. Established in 1953 by then-24-year-old Lynn Johnson in a converted roller skating rink in St. Paul, Minn., the firm has grown to encompass 30 offices today. After begin- ning with spirits, the firm later expanded into wine and also helped Hamm's beer be- come a popular brand in the 1960s. Michael Johnson, son of the founder, has been the CEO since 1984. His brother, Todd Johnson, joined the firm in 1988 and is COO. In addition to distribution, Johnson Brothers provides sales consulting services that include shelf configuration, wine list consulting, staff training, tasting events and helping clients with their product mix. The company also offers printing services for wine and drink lists, menus and point-of- sale materials. Heidelberg Distributing Co. Headquarters: Dayton, Ohio States served: 2 Offices: 9 U.S. wineries represented: 177 Co-chairmen: Al Vontz III and Vail Miller Sr. CEO: Vail Miller Jr. Heidelberg Distributing serves only two states—Ohio and Kentucky—but ranks No. 6 among the "Top 10" list of wine distributors in the United States, according to Wines Vines Analytics. Two divisions are based in Cincinnati and one is in Dayton, Ohio, which includes the company headquarters. Other locations in- clude Cleveland, Columbus, Loraine, Toledo and Youngstown (all in Ohio), plus a Kentucky office and warehouse in Hebron, Ky. Heidelberg distributes the products of 177 domestic wineries, many of them being among the highest volume brands from the biggest companies. The family-owned company started with a German-born brewer Albert W. Vontz, who arrived in Cincinnati in 1907. After Prohibi- tion he drove a truck for the Heidelberg Brewery in nearby Covington, Ky. He kept the Heidelberg name when the brewery went out of business and began distributing beer and wine. In the 1950s, wine represented a large part of the operation's sales, but it also acquired an Anheuser-Busch franchise in Cincinnati and later the Budweiser distributorship. Today Al Vontz III is co-chairman and president, while Vail Miller Sr. is co-chair- man and secretary. Miller's son, Vail Miller Jr., is CEO. The company has 1,600 associ- ates, 2 million square feet of warehouse and serves 26,000 retailers in the two states. Wine Warehouse Headquarters: Los Angeles and Richmond, Calif. States served: 1 Offices: 2 U.S. wineries represented: 104 Chairman and CEO: Jim Myerson Senior vice president: Linda Myerson Dean President and COO: Greg Akins Wine Warehouse operates only in California, where it distributes products from 104 domes- tic wineries along with beer and spirits. It ranks as the No. 7 U.S. wine distributor, according to Wines Vines Analytics. The company was established in 1973 as an importer by wine collectors Bob and Jim Myerson, who saw an opportunity to bring fine wine to a new and rapidly growing market. Their first wine arrival from overseas was a single container of Burgundy. By 1978 the com- pany was an established wholesaler of pre- mium wine from around the world and also represented nearly half the bonded wineries in Napa Valley. The business that started between two brothers has grown to include more than 600 employees at locations in both southern and northern California. The second-generation owners are Jim Myerson (not the co-founder Jim Myerson, but the son of founder Bob My- erson who shares the same name) and his sis- ter, Linda Myerson Dean. In 2012 they purchased the remaining stock in the company from Bob Myerson. Wine Warehouse's book includes domes- tic wines ranging from top-volume brands by E. & J. Gallo Winery to boutiques such as Au Bon Climat, Domaine Drouhin Oregon and Heitz Cellar. 5 6 7 Michael Johnson Vail Miller Jr. Jim Myerson