It can be rare in the increasingly competitive wine and spirits world to get a fresh start, but that’s exactly what happened three years ago when two family owned, multigenerational mega distributors of alcohol beverages — Southern Wine & Spirits and Glazer’s — joined forces to become Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (SGWS).
Established in 1968 (Southern) and 1933 (Glazer’s), the combined company now distributes in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean and Canada. Operations include 47 distribution centers that represent 1,700 wine, spirits, beer and beverage suppliers, more than 5,000 brands and 2,650 trucks driving more than 76 million miles to deliver approximately 172 million 9-liter cases, according to Wayne E. Chaplin, chief executive officer (CEO) of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.