| Name | Title | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|
Robert Duffy |
Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPO / CTO) | Profile |
The Smirnoff brand was founded in 1864 by Piotr Arseneevich (P.A.) Smirnov and before long, he became one of the most famous vodka makers in Russia. In 1886, he even received the Tsar`s special designation as a Purveyor of the Imperial Court, which is a fancy way of saying Official Vodka-Maker of Tsar Type People. This was based both on the fact that his vodkas were delicious and that Tsars tend to like to make things official. When the Bolsheviks took over, the distilleries were shut down and P.A.`s son Vladimir was chased out of town with pitchforks and also dinner forks, since the whole thing happened suddenly and not everyone had a pitchfork with them. Vladimir Smirnov was able to flee to Constantinople and then eventually settle in France where he sold vodka under the name “Smirnoff.” Now safely disguised by a new name and a slightly offensive fake French accent, Vladimir revived the brand. Lots of other interesting stuff happened. Vladimir married a model and sang in a band and grew a series of beards, but probably the best thing he did was bring a triple distilled, 10 times filtered, award winning, cola-improving, martini-making vodka to the world. For former czars and current stars. For vodka connoisseurs and people who just like vodka. For everybody.
Truett-Hurst is an innovative and growing super-premium and ultra-premium wine sales, marketing and production company based in the acclaimed Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys of Sonoma County, California. The core of our business is a combination of direct to consumer sales, traditional brand sales and “retail exclusive label” partnerships with major retailers, such as Trader Joe’s and Safeway. We work closely with our retail partners to develop tailored brands to be sold to the discovery-oriented wine consumer. We offer a top quality product at a reasonable price, a result of our competitive grape sourcing, high-quality wine making and world-class packaging and label design. Our “retail exclusive label” model allows us to own the brands that we create, which we believe differentiates us from the traditional private label model and allows us to potentially expand the brands into the broad market, further building brand equity. Our retail partners value their relationships with us because they collaborate in the development of the products and ultimately benefit from the higher margins that we offer them. We believe that we have attracted these partners as a result of our rapid brand development cycles, our ability to quickly adjust to market demand and because we can bypass many traditional distribution layers to offer higher margin products for our partners’ key target customers.
Palm Bay International, a dynamic family-owned company, offers one of the nation’s most comprehensive portfolios of imported wines and spirits, including over 50 producers from four continents. Among Palm Bay’s most valued assets is its remarkable network of long-term partnerships with the foremost wholesale companies in all 50 states, as well as Mexico and the Caribbean. With the crucial collaboration of these partners, Palm Bay’s portfolio is able to meet the needs of every level of the industry, from independent restaurants and retail stores, to chain accounts, supermarkets, hotels, airlines, cruise ships, duty-free accounts and U.S. military bases. This impressive roster of brands, accounts and relationships positions Palm Bay as a major source of fine wines and spirits and an industry leader in the U.S. marketplace.
A well known wine expert, David Milligan has 40 years experience in the wine business in Europe and the United States. He trained with leading English companies and was wine buyer for its largest brewery group, where he created the No 1 selling table wine brand. His over 30 years experience in the US, based in New Orleans, Miami and New York, where he served as President of Seagram, Chateau and Estate Wines Co, have given him an in depth knowledge of the imported wine business in the United States. He is the author of the "All Color Book of Wine", numerous magazine and newspaper articles and has appeared on many television shows. He is a member of several international wine and food societies, is Regent Emeritus of the Commanderie de Bordeaux in New York and a Grand Officer of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. He started his own company in 1995 to represent top Producers of French wine in the United States.
Named after the Conecuh Ridge area in Alabama, where Clyde May turned his moonshine into whiskey, Conecuh Brands, pronounced ka-neck-uh, was founded in 2014 and has become a creative incubator of super-premium spirit brands. Our brands stand out because they are built around an authentic story with exceptional packaging and award-winning taste. Our 30+ person team means our brands are distributed in all 50 states and globally, supported with flawless execution and strong brand-building investment.