View source for Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits

{{Short description|American wine and spirits distributor}}
{{advert|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, LLC
| logo = Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Logo.svg
| foundation = {{Start date|1968|}}
| founder = Jay W. Weiss, Harvey R. Chaplin, Howard Preuss
| location_city = [[Miramar, Florida]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| locations = 44 states plus the District of Columbia, [[Canada]]
| area_served = 44 states
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Harvey Chaplin|Bennett Glazer |Wayne Chaplin| Sheldon Stein | Mel Dick|Steven R. Becker|Lee F. Hager|Brad Vassar|Thomas Greenlee}}
| type = [[Private company|Private]]
| industry = Wine and spirits sales & distribution
| products = 7,000+ Brands<ref name=Q/>
| services = Sales, delivery, merchandising
| revenue = [[US$]]21 billion (2021)<ref name=J>{{cite web|title=America's Largest Private Companies|url=https://www.forbes.com/largest-private-companies/list |website=www.forbes.com |access-date=22 August 2022}}{{title missing|date=September 2022}}</ref><ref name=Q>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/southern-glazers/|title=America's Largest Private Companies|work=Forbes|access-date=2022-08-22}}</ref>
| num_employees = 24,000 (2022)<ref name=J/>
| divisions =
| subsid = Coastal Wine and Spirits, American Liberty Transatlantic Wine and Spirits, Atlantic Wine & spirits
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.southernglazers.com/}}
}}
'''Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, LLC''' is the largest [[wine]] and [[Distilled beverage|spirits]] distributor in the [[United States]] with operations in 44 states and [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southernwine.com/AboutSWS/SWS3Tier/tabid/98/Default.aspx |title=SWS & 3 Tier |access-date=2010-01-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317135900/http://www.southernwine.com/AboutSWS/SWS3Tier/tabid/98/Default.aspx |archive-date=2010-03-17 }}</ref> Its portfolio is 45% wine and 55% spirits. It was the 10th largest private company in the United States in 2022.<ref name=J/>
== History ==
Southern Wine and Spirits was founded in 1968 in [[Florida]] by Jay W. Weiss, Harvey R Chaplin, and Howard Preuss in their headquarters in [[Miami|Miramar]]. The company expanded from Florida to [[California]] in 1969. In 1977, Howard Preuss died due to [[cancer]]. His widow, Celia Preuss, sold her part of the company to the remaining owners. Southern was one of the first companies to have statewide distribution in [[California]], which is the company's largest market; prior to Southern's presence, California had dozens of small distributors.<ref name="southernwine1">{{cite web|url=http://www.southernwine.com/AboutSWS/History/tabid/97/Default.aspx |title=History |access-date=2010-01-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129083503/http://www.southernwine.com/AboutSWS/History/tabid/97/Default.aspx |archive-date=2010-01-29 }}</ref>
The company spread to [[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 (state)|New York]] in 2004, [[Maine]], [[Mississippi]], [[New Hampshire]], [[North Carolina]], [[Vermont]], [[Virginia]] and [[West Virginia]] in 2005. In 2006, the company began operations in [[Alabama]] and entered [[Delaware]] in 2008. In July 2008, Southern Wine and Spirits merged with the Odom Corporation which added [[Oregon]], [[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]], [[Idaho]], Montana, Wyoming and [[Alaska]] to its distribution areas. Southern entered the [[Indiana]] market in 2010.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
Southern now has a presence in [[Maryland]] and the District of [[Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia]] through a joint venture with F.P. Winner Wine & Spirits, as well as a joint venture operation in Minnesota with J.J. Taylor Distributing Company. The company holds operating licenses and permits in [[Indiana]], [[Nebraska]], and [[Texas]].
In January 2016, the company merged with Glazer's, changing the name to Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, forming the biggest wine and spirits distributor in the country.<ref>
{{cite news
|url= http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southern-glazers-wine-and-spirits-announces-completion-of-combination-of-southern-wine--spirits-and-glazers-300292838.html |title=Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits Announces Completion of Combination of Southern Wine & Spirits and Glazer's|publisher=PRNewsWire|date=2016-06-30|access-date=2016-08-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianfreedman/2016/08/11/wave-of-mergers-and-acquisitions-sweeps-u-s-wineries/#38ad835d3a4d|title=Wave Of Mergers And Acquisitions Sweeps U.S. Wineries|last=Freedman|first=Brian|date=2016-08-11|website=Forbes|access-date=2018-11-26}}</ref>
Currently, [[Forbes]] lists Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits as the 10th largest private company in the United States. They also note an annual revenue of $26 billion with 24,000 employees as of 2023. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/southern-glazers/ | title=Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits &#124; Company Overview & News | website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref>
== People ==
Harvey R. Chaplin, one of the original founders of Southern Wine & Spirits, served as Chairman until his passing on June 9, 2024.<ref>https://newsroom.southernglazers.com/press-release-details/2024/Southern-Glazers-Announces-the-Passing-of-Its-Chairman-Harvey-Chaplin/default.aspx {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> He directly oversaw the organization's growth from when he co-founded Southern to where it is today.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/southern-glazers/ | title=Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits &#124; Company Overview & News | website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref>
His son, Wayne E. Chaplin, serves as the President and CEO.<ref>{{cite web|author=Wayne E. Chaplin |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=4119958&privcapId=11791038&previousCapId=391687&previousTitle=Citigroup%20Inc |title=Wayne E. Chaplin: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg |publisher=Investing.businessweek.com |date= |access-date=2017-04-30}}{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
Bennett Glazer, Executive Vice Chairman, grandson of Louis Glazer who opened Jumbo Bottling Co. in 1909.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.southernglazers.com/who-we-are/our-history | title=Our history }}</ref> Glazer's saw an increase in revenue from roughly $700 million, when Bennett Glazer became head of the family holding company, to $3.7 billion under his command. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/2011/12/18/already-big-glazers-wants-to-get-bigger-in-drink-distribution/ | title=Already big, Glazer's wants to get bigger in drink distribution | date=18 December 2011 }}</ref> He played a key role in the merger between Southern and Glazer's, forming Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. <ref>https://newsroom.southernglazers.com/press-release-details/2016/Southern-Wine--Spirits-Of-America-And-Glazers-To-Combine-Creating-The-Only-Comprehensive-North-American-Wine-And-Spirits-Distribution-Footprint/default.aspx {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>
Mel Dick is the Senior Vice President of Southern Wine & Spirits of America and President of the company's Wine Division. In 2001, Mel Dick was awarded the [[Legion of Honor]] medal by the President of France, [[Jacques Chirac]], for his efforts to promote [[French wine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/?go=getArticle&dataId=6189 |title=Bulletin Board |publisher=Winebusiness.com |date=February 2001 |access-date=2017-04-30}}</ref> He was first hired at Southern Wine and Spirits in 1969 as General Sales Manager-Wine to develop the wine operations of the company, and was later promoted to Senior Vice President in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mastersofwine.org/filemanager/root/site_assets/documents/committees_and_minutes/mel_dick.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-01-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125101819/http://mastersofwine.org/filemanager/root/site_assets/documents/committees_and_minutes/mel_dick.pdf |archive-date=2010-11-25 }}</ref>
Brad Vassar serves as Executive Vice President and C.O.O.
== Products ==
Southern Glazer's represents approximately 1,500 wine, spirit, [[beer]], and [[beverage]] suppliers from around the world. The company operates in 44 states and employs approximately 23,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits {{!}} Company Overview & News |url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/southern-glazers/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> During a working week, the sales, delivery, and support staff of Southern Glazer's collectively calls on or services over 250,000 different chains and independent retail and restaurant customers across the country.
In May 2018, Southern Wine & Spirits reached a deal with [[Aphria (company)|Aphria]] for its new subsidiary Great North Distributors to exclusively distribute Aphria's recreational cannabis products in Canada when its recreational use becomes legal in the country.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/aphria-strikes-deal-with-southern-glazer-s-on-cannabis-distribution-1.1079258|title=Aphria strikes deal with Southern Glazer's on cannabis distribution - Article - BNN|date=2018-05-17|work=BNN|access-date=2018-09-09}}</ref>
In March 2023, Southern Glazer announced that they have expanded their relationship to form a national strategic alignment with [[The Wine Group]]. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-24 |title=The Wine Group Announces National Alignment with Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, Strengthening its Position for Strategic Portfolio Growth |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230324005249/en/The-Wine-Group-Announces-National-Alignment-with-Southern-Glazer%E2%80%99s-Wine-Spirits-Strengthening-its-Position-for-Strategic-Portfolio-Growth |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==  External links ==
*[http://www.southernglazers.com Official website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Wine and Spirits}}
[[Category:Companies based in Miami]]
[[Category:Business services companies established in 1968]]
[[Category:1968 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Wholesalers of the United States]]