Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Announces Significant Investments Toward Company’s Vision 2030

Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits (Southern Glazer's) – the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol – today announced a series of capital and resource investments to advance the Company toward its 2030 Vision to be the hospitality industry's most valued selling, logistics and insights provider. The investments reach across all areas of the business, from Commercial Sales, Digital and Supply Chain, and are focused on delivering the best returns for Southern Glazer’s customers and suppliers.

“To achieve our Vision and execute on our Strategy, we are making significant, strategic investments for the future—setting Southern Glazer’s up for success for generations to come,” commented Wayne E. Chaplin, Chief Executive Officer of Southern Glazer’s. “We are making these investments now despite soft market conditions to position us for when the environment bounces back. To ensure we keep pace with evolving needs of our customers and suppliers in the rapidly changing wine and spirits industry, our functional leadership teams are collaborating and have begun to implement the resources and capital required to successfully execute against the first wave of our strategic initiatives.”

“From a Commercial perspective, Southern Glazer’s has re-tooled its route to market in five states, adding more than 200 individuals,” commented John Wittig, Chief Commercial Officer. “We have also re-structured our service model for the convenience store channel, an area seeing rapid growth, adding nearly 175 resources in more than seven markets and evaluating incremental investments in an additional ten markets.”

Gene Sullivan, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer added, “Southern Glazer’s has also bolstered capabilities and resources to support National Accounts, a critical customer segment of the business. This includes purchasing category leading data packages highlighting both shopper and consumer insights, onboarding the best talent across both consumer packaged goods and beverage alcohol companies, and strengthening customer development and category management teams.”

“As part of Southern Glazer’s 10-year supply chain transformation, logistics and operations teams are investing in new facilities, routing and forecasting technologies, leveraging Artificial Intelligence and automation, and launching new innovative solutions for customers,” said Bobby Burg, Chief Supply Chain Officer. “This includes new state-of-the-art distribution centers in Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada and South Carolina, as well as in an additional facility in Kentucky for the recently launched Ankaa Global Logistics subsidiary. In addition, the Company has committed to replacing 435 delivery vehicles with more efficient, environmentally friendly vehicles, as well as investing in 50 all-electric tractor units to be delivered in 2025.”

David Chaplin, Chief Growth Officer said, “Another significant area of investment is being made to equip Southern Glazer’s team members, suppliers, and customers with the world’s best digital capabilities and data. Following the appointment of our new Chief Digital Officer Alan Wizemann in 2023, the Company is currently building a more than 350-member digital team to support a new product and platform operating model for the Company to effectively build, design, scale, and operate best-in-class digital solutions.”

Since announcing Mike McLaughlin as the Company’s new Chief Transformation Officer and its North Star transformation strategy in 2023, steps are also underway to modernize, standardize, and streamline the Company’s core processes to continue to maximize value for suppliers and customers while offering modern capabilities that allow Southern Glazer’s to attract and retain top talent.

With technology as a foundational enabler, both the Digital and North Star teams are working in collaboration with Chief Information and Technology Officer Ann Dozier, recently named CIO of the Year by Consumer Goods Technology magazine, and her department on their respective strategic initiatives.

“We expect these investments to pay dividends in both the near and long-term and are taking bold steps to set ourselves up for success,” added Wayne E. Chaplin. “We are doing important work now to make our Company stronger and more resilient for the future, while positioning us to best serve our valued customers and suppliers.”

About Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol, building brands for moments that matter. The multi-generational, family-owned Company has operations in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, as well as brokerage operations through its WEBB Banks division in the Caribbean, Central and South America. In 2024, Southern Glazer’s was recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women. Southern Glazer’s urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve, and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information visit www.southernglazers.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @sgwinespirits.

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