Splash Expands SALT Tequila in New York State
Splash Beverage Group, Inc. , a portfolio company of leading beverage brands, has reached agreements with three distributors who will give SALT Tequila wide coverage in the majority of the counties in New York state, not including New York City, Try-It Distributing, A. L. George Distributing and Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service.
Try-It Distributing, founded in 1928, is a family-owned distributor located in Lancaster, N.Y., servicing Erie and Niagara Counties from a state-of-the-art, 150,000 square foot facility. A.L. George Distributing, headquartered in Binghamton, is the fastest growing central New York distributor covering 12 counties from the Pennsylvania border to Lake Ontario along the I-81 corridor. Saratoga Eagle Sales & Service, located in Saratoga Springs is a family owned, full-service beverage distributor servicing 8 counties.
“These agreements are the foundation of a major push for SALT Tequila in the state of New York,” said Robert Nistico, Splash Beverage Group’s chairman and CEO. “All three distributors are in the Anheuser Busch network of distributors, which present a powerful distribution presence.
“They will provide SALT Tequila coverage in most New York state counties. Tequila continues to have a very large percentage of the overall growth in spirits, which we believe can provide strong tailwinds for SALT Tequila as it continues to expand its geographic footprint.”
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Klondike Wins 11 Awards at US Championship Cheese Contest
Klondike Cheese Co. earned several honorable awards at the 2023 United States Championship Cheese Contest in both cheese and yogurt categories.
There is no lack of knowledge to making great cheese; there are five Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers at Klondike and all of its employees are committed to producing high quality, authentic and consistent products.
“We couldn’t be more proud of our entire team,” said Luke Buholzer, vice president of sales at Klondike Cheese Company.
Best of Class honors went to Odyssey Feta, Odyssey Peppercorn Feta and Buholzer Brothers Dill Havarti.
Placing second in their classes were Odyssey Plain, Sweet Heat and Low-fat Feta’s, Odyssey Blueberry Greek Yogurt and Odyssey Plain Greek Yogurt. Third place awards went to Odyssey Low-fat Vanilla Yogurt, Odyssey Peach Greek Yogurt and Odyssey Plain Greek Yogurt.
In total, Klondike received 11 top-three accolades.
“Every year, the competition increases across the country. Winning these awards shows our commitment to quality while embracing technology to be able to grow and meet customer’s demands. It pushes us to continue putting our best products out in the market day after day. It is humbling to see that hard work recognized by experienced judges during this contest,” Buholzer said.
The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, held Feb. 21-23 in Green Bay, Wis., and hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, is the largest technical cheese, butter and yogurt competition in the United States and has been held biennially since 1981. A total of 2,249 entries of cheeses, butters and yogurts from 35 states were entered for technical evaluation.
For more information about Klondike Cheese Co., Odyssey and Buholzer Brothers products, including recipes and detailed product information, visit www.klondikecheese.com.
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Garner Foods Appoints Plumb as Senior EVP of Sales
Garner Foods has appointed Marion Plumb as senior executive VP of sales. Plumb will be responsible for overseeing the company’s foodservice sales, retail sales and customer support teams.
“I and the executive team at Garner Foods are very excited to add Marion to our company leadership,” said Ann Garner Riddle, CEO and president of Garner Foods. “I enjoyed getting to know him through the hiring process, and look forward to Marion leveraging his substantial experience to our Texas Pete and Green Mountain Gringo brands.”
Plumb brings over 32 years of leadership and sales experience to the role of leading sales over multiple trade channels. He most recently served as VP of sales in North America for the Champion brand, which saw significant growth under his tenure.
“I’m thrilled to join the team at Garner Foods,” said Plumb. “The company’s heritage, its loyalty to its people and community, as well as a deep passion for products, customers, and consumers were very attractive to me and made this an easy decision. If I could have drawn up my dream job, this would have been it.”
Plumb, a self-professed foodie and passionate cook of Creole, Cajun and soul Food cuisines, has personal ties to the company as well. He has been using Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce since he was a kid and is excited to contribute to such a beloved brand.
Plumb plans to protect and extend the brand’s heartland business while also growing and expanding into other markets. He believes brand investment and driving innovation in new categories, and product extensions will elevate the brand and delight its loyal consumers and attract new consumers within each market.
To learn more about Garner Foods, and their extensive products, visit their website at www.garnerfoods.com.