A Brief History of Southern Wine & Spirits of New York

Since entering the Empire State market in December 2004, Southern Wine & Spirits of New York has built a state-of-the-art distribution, marketing and merchandising network.

Backed by the Company’s superb operational and personnel capabilities, Southern Wine & Spirits of New York is able to offer rapid delivery services to the state’s large and diverse base of independent retail accounts as well as hotels and resorts, and all independent and chain restaurants throughout the entire state, according to Larry Goodrich, Executive Vice President, General Manager of Southern Wine & Spirits of New York.

With close to 800 sales and support staff now working statewide, operating from distribution centers in its upstate and downstate locations, and under the leadership of Mr. Goodrich and his team of senior executives, Southern Wine & Spirits of New York is bringing unprecedented levels of service and educational commitment to its on- and off-premise clients.

A 28-year veteran of the Company, Mr. Goodrich implemented a number of innovations and service-oriented improvements in the New York operation, including: creating separate and dedicated wine and spirits teams focused in relevant accounts; overseeing operational enhancements at the Company’s Long Island facility and its newly opened Upstate facilities; installing state-of-art data processing and information systems; training, educating and managing an outstanding sales force dedicated to providing first-class customer service; hiring full-time Wine and Spirits Sales Specialists trained to bring successful sales ideas to their customers; and bringing in other senior executives to inaugurate a new level of professionalism to the Company’s wine and spirits operations.

Southern’s Long Island facility, which is in the process of being modernized and vastly expanded, is headquarters for its statewide sales, executive, administrative, information management, educational, transportation and business operations. Like its counterparts in other Southern markets, the Long Island-based statewide team is focused on providing first-class customer service for on- and off-premise accounts and for its brand owners, importers and suppliers.

Proof that these innovations work – furnishing Southern Wine & Spirit’s industry-leading technological, administrative and creative sales prowess from the national parent company to its New York operation – Mr. Goodrich says that Southern Wine & Spirits of New York’s overall sales continue to grow. Mr. Goodrich adds that the Company’s gains are achieved via strong organic growth from Southern Wine & Spirits of New York’s existing wine and spirits portfolio as well as from new supplier partners and their brands.

According to Mr. Goodrich, Southern Wine & Spirits of New York is extremely excited about its future in New York and maintaining its impressive record of growth and service to the marketplace. Overall, Mr. Goodrich is very proud of the accomplishments of Southern Wine & Spirits of New York: “We continue to raise the bar in service and selection here in New York. We continue to focus all our sales efforts on the needs of the customer, and our suppliers.  Moreover, we are firm believers in the importance and unique needs of all categories of wine and spirits and we have a clear understanding of the taste preferences of New York’s different and diverse demographic groups.”

Since its founding in 1968, Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc. (Southern), is the leading nationally recognized wine and spirits distributor in the United States known for its historic commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service, creative marketing programs and partnerships.  The Company is also known for its best-in-industry professional and well-trained sales, operational and support staff, its ongoing investments in and contributions to hospitality and beverage education for its staff, its customers and to many national educational institutions. In addition, Southern is justly respected for its deeply held belief in the importance of giving back, for being a socially responsible corporate citizen and for making generous contributions to national, state and local charitable organizations.

Today, Southern operates in 30 states, including its original Florida market, where its corporate headquarters is located in Miami. Over the past 40 years, pursuing a determined strategy to expand through internal growth as well as through the acquisition of established wholesalers, Southern Wine and Spirits of America expanded its Florida operations into California in 1969, Nevada in 1976, Arizona in 1992, South Carolina in 1993, Pennsylvania in 1995, Hawaii in 1996, Kentucky in 1998, New Mexico in 2000, Colorado in 2001, Illinois in 2002, New York in 2004, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia in 2005. In 2006, the Company began operations in Alabama; and, in a partnership arrangement, now operates in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming as well. In 2007, the Company entered Ohio, the country's third largest Control jurisdiction. In early 2008, Southern began operations in Delaware, and also entered the state of Texas, making Southern the only major wine and spirits distributor licensed in each of the top five wine and spirits markets in the United States. On a national basis, the Company employs more than 10,000 team members.

Summing up his vision for the future of Southern Wine & Spirits of New York, Mr. Goodrich says, “We see continued growth in our sales in New York. We want to be the best and most professional distributor in the state; it is our singular focus!”