News Briefs
Reyes Holdings LLC, Rosemont, Ill., announced plans buy Reinhart FoodService, LaCrosse, Wis., to create a company with more than $7 billion in revenue and 6,500 employees. Reyes says it will keep Reinhart’s management team in place and its headquarters in Wisconsin.
McCormick Distilling Co. Co-Chairman
Michael S. Griesser died last month in Dallas. Griesser co-chaired the
company, along with Ed Pechar, since 1992, and was an internationally
recognized expert in spirits law and regulation.
Barton Brands Ltd. and Jstar Brands LLC have partnered
to create a joint venture called Planet 10 Spirits LLC, which will develop
and market luxury brands such as Effen Vodka, their first offering.
“We believe the partnership will create the
reach necessary to sell Effen Vodka nationally by fully leveraging Barton
Brands’ sales and distribution network,” said Alexander Berk,
chief executive officer at Barton Inc., who will serve as chairman of the
new company.
Boston Beer Co. will
upgrade and expand its Cincinnati brewery this year, to the tune of almost
$7 million. Plans include the addition of a new building to house 24
lagering and aging tanks, and the replacement of brewhouse equipment. It
will increase the facility’s capacity to more than 800,000 barrels
per year, and will account for two-thirds of the company’s total
production.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., Waterbury, Vt., announced it will raise prices approximately
$0.35 per pound of roasted coffee. The price increase reflects higher costs
in the commodity price of green coffee, increasing differentials for
premium quality coffees, and higher energy and transportation costs.
Rutherford Wine Co. has
renamed its Silverado Train winemaking facility Rutherford Ranch Vineyards
and Winery to better reflect the Napa Valley wines produced there.
Pepsi Americas Inc., Rolling
Meadows, Ill., has completed the purchase of Central Investment Corp.,
which serves southeast Florida and central Ohio, and offers full-line
vending operations in those territories.
Kendall-Jackson will
close its Chateau du Lac winery, which is where Founder Jess Jackson
started the business 22 years ago. Despite the Lake County winery’s
historic value, most of the company’s production is handled through
bigger facilities in Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, Santa Barbara and Monterey.
Blavod Extreme Spirits plc,
Franklin, Tenn., announced a new distribution agreement with Southern Wine & Spirits of New York for its Players Extreme brand. The company also has signed on with
United Distributing of Boston for its wine portfolio in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine,
Massachusetts, Virginia and North Carolina. Ace Distributing will handle its wine
brands in Connecticut.
Revolution Tea’s
full-leaf tea products will be sold through Fresh
Market, the Phoenix-based company announced
last month. The retailer will carry Revolution’s Infuser tea bags in
15-count containers as well as its Variety Sampler.
The company also announced its bottled White-T will be
distributed through Kehe Food Distributors, Chicago. Kehe serves 3,000 grocery retailers in the
midwest, southeast and southwest.
Allied Domecq Spirits and Wine North America, Westport, Conn., has named the Charmer Sunbelt
Group’s Service-Universal Distributors Inc. as its exclusive
distributor for upstate New York. Charmer Sunbelt also distributes
Allied Domecq’s products in metropolitan New York, Maryland, Florida
and Washington, D.C.