With a heritage dating back to the early 20^th century, the founding entities of what is today Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Dallas and Miami, have seen an evolution within the beverage market.

Wayne E. Chaplin, president and CEO at Southern Glazer’s, explains that, although the U.S. beverage alcohol market might be in a period of transition due to economic headwinds and evolving consumer behavior, the foundation that made the company what it is today is helping the wholesaler evolve during this time.

“At Southern Glazer’s, we remain focused on the fundamentals ― investing in our people, executing with discipline and strengthening the trust we’ve built with suppliers and customers over decades,” he says. “Our 50-plus year history has taught us to take a long-term view, stay agile even in uncertain conditions, and continue to invest in the future.

“What differentiates us is not just scale, it’s our ability to stay strategic in how we respond,” Chaplin continues. “We’re leveraging data to anticipate trends, and we’re actively pursuing growth through innovation, even in a softening environment. When the market is not growing, we are focused on strategies that put us in a stronger and advantageous position when the markets return to growth. While others may be pulling back, we see this as a time to double down on the value we bring to our partners.”

With a U.S. footprint that spans 47 markets along with international reach in Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and South America, as well as the travel retail and cruise sector, Southern Glazer’s is staying on top of market needs by delivering exceptional service, insights and innovation.

“Our HEART Values ― Honesty, Excellence, Agility, Respect and Teamwork ― drive our teams to think like owners and deliver results that set the standard for the industry, all while avoiding bureaucracy and complacency, and staying deeply connected to the needs of our trading partners,” Chaplin says.

These values also played a vital role in Southern Glazer’s being recognized by Newsweek in 2025 as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women.

Jennifer Chaplin Tolkin, executive vice president and managing director for Campari and among the next generation of leadership within the family-led company, elaborates how Southern Glazer’s takes an intentional approach to female leadership to help drive greater representation across the business.

“We’re intentional about building a culture where every voice is heard and every idea is welcomed,” Chaplin Tolkin says. “We believe that companies that invest in women leaders are more innovative, collaborative and successful. We view representation not just as a goal, but as a responsibility.”

For example, in 2025, Southern Glazer’s hosted its fourth annual Women in Leadership Panel, themed “Women Leading with Resilience in the Face of Adversity,” which was its first to be livestreamed to all employees.

“I was proud to co-moderate the panel with my father, featuring senior women leaders from Diageo, Heaven Hill and Darden who spoke on mentorship, bias, authenticity and creating a Culture of Belonging,” Chaplin Tolkin says. “We also continue to invest in leadership development through programs like EmpowHER, which I founded five years ago. It gives participants, both women and men, the space to reflect, strengthen their executive presence, and lead with boldness. Nearly 500 participants have graduated from the program since its inception in 2020.”

For all these reasons and more, Beverage Industry has named Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits as the 2025 Wholesaler of the Year.

Honoring the past for the future

The Southern Glazer’s legacy traces back to the founding of wholesale visionaries in the Dallas and Miami markets. Following the repeal of Prohibition, in 1933, Max, Fritz and Nolan Glazer ― sons of Louis Glazer, who opened Jumbo Bottling Co. in 1909 ― started Glazer’s Wholesale Distributors as a Schlitz Beer distributor serving the Dallas population. In 1968, Southern Wine & Spirits of America Inc. was established in Miami by founders Walter Jahn, Harvey Chaplin, Jay Weiss and Elliot Dinnerstein. 

Those family ties still run deep at Southern Glazer’s with Chaplin, son of founder Harvey Chaplin, as president and CEO, and Bennett Glazer, grandson of Louis Glazer, serving as executive vice chairman.

“Southern Glazer’s was built by family, and those values remain at the heart of who we are,” Chaplin says. “We empower our people to act like business owners and provide them with the best tools and training to deliver personalized, best-in-class service. As we grow, we remain a people-first, purpose-driven company.

“This is how we honor the commitment and leadership of those who came before us, like my father, Harvey Chaplin, and Bennett Glazer’s father, Nolan Glazer, and grandfather, Louis Glazer, whose entrepreneurial spirit helped lay the foundation for our company’s growth,” he continues. “Being a family business also means recognizing the family members whose support makes everything possible. I could not have accomplished everything we’ve built without my wife of 39 years, Arlene, by my side ― an incredible partner, mother and daughter whose encouragement has been constant throughout this journey.”

Also central to Southern Glazer’s success are the talented leaders who have carried the company forward over the years. Among them is Mel Dick, a true pioneer whose legendary career spanning more than five decades has left an indelible mark on Southern Glazer’s and the global wine industry, Chaplin shares. The company’s long-standing, deeply experienced management team also has been instrumental in providing expertise that continues to fuel the company’s growth and enduring success.

Mentorship by the senior leadership team is playing a vital role as the company’s next generation of leaders — including Mark Chaplin, David Chaplin, Jennifer Chaplin Tolkin, Sam Glazer, Robert Becker, Monica Chaplin and Ryan Jove ― looks to lead the company into its next era of growth.

“Our next generation of leaders are carrying forward the legacy of our founders with purpose and passion,” Chaplin says. “They understand that our success is rooted in relationships, trust, and values. Together, they’re shaping a company that’s future-ready while staying true to the principles that define us.”

Chaplin shares that Glazer and he are proud to see their families’ legacies carry on, grounded in the company’s HEART Values and a shared vision for the future.

“Our mission goes beyond distributing products, it’s about building world-class brands for moments that matter,” he says.

Investing in the future

To support retailers, brands and consumers needs in today’s fast moving consumer packaged goods environment, Southern Glazer’s has invested in not only expanding its footprint but also in a host of technology advancements for the modern three-tier system.

The most well-known is the wholesaler’s award-winning Proof platform, which launched in 2019.

“We’re focused on making it easier for customers to do business with Southern Glazer’s by way of buying, reordering and discovering new products that will generate incremental revenue for our customers,” says David Chaplin, chief growth and strategy officer at Southern Glazer’s. “In terms of our sales teams, it has always been about delivering more value to our customers and focusing more on helping them grow their business rather than transactional based activities, or in other words, removing friction from the Southern Glazer’s selling experience. That means building experiences that feel intuitive and are beneficial, not just digital for the sake of it.”

David Chaplin adds that the company is evolving the Proof platform to support an experience that feels faster, smarter and more personalized.

“That includes the re-designed Proof app, a smarter homepage, improved search and cart experiences, and AI-driven recommendations that are tailored to driving the customer’s business,” he says.

Internally it is supporting its sales teams with more effective tools to gain real-time insights into the market, so these members are better equipped to address specific assortment gaps.

“We’re not just investing in features,” David Chaplin says. “We’re investing in time saved, effort reduced, and more effective, revenue generating decisions made across all three tiers of the value chain. These investments are already paying off with Proof growing 6% since last year, despite the industry headwinds.”

David Chaplin explains that the implementation of Proof completely changed how Southern Glazer’s customers and sales team interact.

“What used to take multiple steps, teams, emails or follow-ups can now be done quickly, clearly and on their own time,” he says. “Customers are building orders faster, and building them when it is convenient for them, finding products more easily, and discovering new items they might have missed.”

For Southern Glazer’s sales teams, they have gained hours back in their week, allowing them to focus on more ways to support customers to grow their businesses.

“What we’ve learned with Proof is clear, when you design for the stakeholders using it, the value shows up everywhere: for customers, suppliers, and for our own teams,” David Chaplin says. “Even with headwinds across the industry, Proof continues to gain rapid market share and we’re on track to surpass $4 billion in revenue this year.”

The company also has implemented artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities thanks to AI-powered forecasting tools that combine inventory, sales, trends and promotion plans all in one chat-based experience.

“Inside Proof, AI is helping personalize the experience, showing each customer what’s most relevant and important to them,” David Chaplin says. “And we’re just getting started. Our goal is to make AI feel like a natural part of the way we work ― integrated, seamless and focused on outcomes. When AI is done right, it’s invisible, but the value is undeniable.”

However, David Chaplin emphasizes that broader use of AI within the company is not “about chasing hype.”

“It’s about solving real problems and creating real value,” he says. “One way we’re doing that is through multi-agent systems in customer service, helping us manage order changes during high-pressure times like close or cutoff periods. AI has also helped our customers and our teams repurpose tens of thousands of hours by eliminating monotonous work so they can focus on what they do best.”

Southern Glazer’s also has implemented its digital prowess into a way to drive transformation within the company by combining technology and digital innovation. David Chaplin explains the company built OneTech to bring its digital, technology, data and strategy under one roof.

“This ensures that transformation is consistent across our entire enterprise, not just in a single focus area,” he says. “We’re not asking what we can build, we’re asking what problems we can solve, and how fast we can learn and iterate in order to best deliver value to all of our trading partners.”

Mark Chaplin, president of commercial sales at Southern Glazer’s, explains how this strategy is allowing the company to support consumer-led innovation and category growth for its partners.

“At Southern Glazer’s, one of the key processes that drives best-in-class, consumer-led innovation is our proprietary Planning and Commercial Execution (PACE) cycle,” he says. “Through this process, and in collaboration with our customer and supplier partners, we integrate our industry-leading insights capabilities and rich data resources to develop annual plans to help our suppliers bring new-to-world strategies to life that truly resonate with our shared target consumers.”

Mark Chaplin highlights Southern Glazer’s continued investment in commercial capabilities, route-to-market and data as assets that allow the wholesaler to target plans that generate measurable consumer takeaway in its operating markets.

“In support of this strategy, we’ve invested significantly in data packages and in our OneTech and Commercial Intelligence organizations to ensure we leverage all third-party and internal data sources to better understand where consumers are going, how they make purchasing decisions, and which categories are primed for future growth,” he says.

This investment has aided Southern Glazer’s as the company has seen the convenience channel have a greater impact on business operations.

“As a company, we have invested significantly in this channel the last few years,” Mark Chaplin says. “We have added over 200 new resources focused on this channel and the growth potential it provides, which is currently growing at a double-digit rate for us.

“We have also added dedicated resources in both our National Accounts and Regional Accounts universes to ensure we are driving the right assortment for wine, spirits and RTDs that the consumer is seeking out,” he continues. “With Southern Glazer’s having the right portfolio of brands within the total beverage alcohol space, we continue to play a more important role in advising this channel on what the right customer development strategy is.”

Mark Chaplin adds that Southern Glazer’s has grown its captaincy and validator positions with many of these customers due to the insights from its data. It also has invested in ways to increase delivery and merchandising frequency with many of these customers.

These investments have remained vital to support national on- and off-premise customers, given the company vast reach.

“Our focus with national on- and off-premise customers is really about providing indispensable support that listens to what their needs are and helps them accelerate growth in the TBA category,” Mark Chaplin says. “We’ve invested heavily in our data and insights capabilities. This has enabled us to increase our captaincy and validator positions across a number of the top National Accounts customers as we can provide a balanced and data-driven view of the category.  

“We continue to hear from our National Accounts On-Premise partners who see the benefits of our national footprint by having a one-stop shop from programming to execution,” he continues. “These investments at the category level allow us to focus on continuing to drive enhanced execution on menus and retail floors to ensure our investments come to life for our customers to enjoy.”

Expanded focus

Southern Glazer’s need for such detailed technological support comes as the wholesaler has expanded its footprint in recent years.

In 2023, the company acquired Miami-based WEBB Banks, which has since rebranded as Southern Glazer’s Travel Retail Sales & Export Division, expanding its services to the Caribbean, Central and South America markets.

Chaplin explains that when the Southern Glazer’s expanded its reach, it wasn’t just about the geographic footprint, but “investing in people, relationships and a proven business model rooted in regional expertise.”

“The most important lesson has been the power of trusting local leadership,” Chaplin says. “The WEBB Banks team brought deep relationships, cultural fluency and unmatched knowledge of their territories. Rather than change that, we supported it, enhancing their capabilities with our infrastructure and digital tools.”

Another important lesson the company learned was that scale must match agility.

“Whether it’s adapting to tourism fluctuations or regional compliance nuances, we’ve built a more flexible, resilient operation,” Chaplin says. “To better aid our partners, we’ve launched a Foreign Trade Zone in Miami, slashing supply chain lead times and improving product freshness for our partners.”

The last lesson learned was how to integrate without losing identity.

“The result is a unified team with more capabilities, more supplier reach, deeper customer service and a shared vision,” Chaplin explains. “We’re proud of what we’ve built, and we’re even more excited for what’s ahead, especially in fast-growing areas like cruise line sales and premium spirits.”

Yet, this was not the last acquisition for Southern Glazer’s. In 2024, it finalized the acquisition of Horizon Beverage Group in the New England area, adding its 46th and 47th markets with Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

“We’re always looking for ways to strengthen our footprint and better serve our suppliers and customers,” Chaplin says. “The acquisition of Horizon Beverage Group allowed us to add two strategic markets, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, while bringing onboard a talented team with deep local expertise.

“This expansion enhances our ability to offer national coverage and consistent service across all 47 U.S. markets,” he continues. “It also aligns with our strategy of thoughtful, long-term growth. This move was a natural fit, culturally, operationally, and strategically, and we’re proud to now operate in New England under the Southern Glazer’s Beverage Company banner to distribute world-class wine, spirits, non-alcoholic and malt beverages.”

And just last month, Southern Glazer’s announced it reached an agreement to acquire Anheuser-Busch’s owned New York City distribution operation. This transaction will launch Southern Glazer’s Beverage Company of New York, covering Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx.

“We could not be more excited to expand our business with Anheuser-Busch, the leading brewer and malt beverage supplier in the industry and an emerging leader in spirits and energy drinks, by acquiring their owned New York City distribution operation,” Chaplin said in a statement at the time of the announcement. “We look forward to welcoming all current employees at this location to the Southern Glazer’s team and working together to grow these iconic brands.”

In a statement, Mark Chaplin added: “Our deep expertise, capabilities, and knowledge of the New York City market will enable us to build on the strong momentum that the Anheuser-Busch distribution team has created and further position our companies for collective growth. Through our new dedicated New York beverage division led by Devyn Dugger, we look forward to distributing these industry leading brands and offering best-in-class service in this critical market.”

The transaction is expected to close later this year and includes Anheuser-Busch’s full product portfolio sold in the New York City area.

Deeper vision

Yet, Southern Glazer’s leadership in the wholesale community is not limited to its investments in technology and expansive footprint.

“We’ve set a bold 2030 Environmental Sustainability Vision to harness the passion of our people, trading partners and communities to take measurable environmental action and contribute to a sustainable, hospitable planet for future generations,” Chaplin Tolkin says. “To realize this vision, we’re focused on executing strategy to address our material environmental impact across four strategic pillars: fleet, facilities, water and waste.”

Chaplin Tolkin explains that over the past 18 months, Southern Glazer’s “established a robust corporate sustainability foundation with strong executive governance, creation of a dedicated team, development and integrations of KPIs, as well as progress on data and tracking.”

“Our executional efforts have special emphasis on improving our climate and energy performance across fleet and facility operations, as well as collaborating with trading partners to amplify and elevate sustainability,” she says.

Southern Glazer’s also is investing in its people not just to benefit the company, but the overall beverage alcohol community.

“[S]everal of Southern Glazer’s women leaders have participated in the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Women in Leadership Executive Education Program, developed with Columbia Business School,” Chaplin Tolkin says. “With nearly 180 graduates since launch, it’s helping to prepare the next generation of industry leaders. Our focus remains on creating lasting opportunities for women to grow, lead, and make a meaningful impact ― at Southern Glazer’s and across the beverage alcohol industry.”

Mark Chaplin also touts the educational prowess and diversity of Southern Glazer’s team members.

“Our employees have completed nearly 17,000 wine, sake and spirits education programs, from introductory to master-level achievements,” he says. “Leveraging this expertise ― and the insights of our Cultural Collective Steering Committee, established in 2020 to amplify multicultural business development and drive commercial success ― our team stays ahead of consumer trends, identifying the categories, suppliers, and brands with the greatest growth potential. This agility positions us to quickly capture regional innovations and bring them to market before they hit the mainstream.”

Building off the investments that Southern Glazer’s has made across it network and platforms, the family members express excitement for what’s to come.

“What excites us most about the year ahead is how we’re continuing to transform our business to deliver even greater value for our suppliers and customers,” the family members say. “Through Vision 2030, we’re making strategic investments to strengthen every part of our business ― from advancing our digital and technology capabilities to empowering our people with the tools, resources and data they need to succeed. We’re entering a chapter where execution meets innovation, ensuring that technology, AI and market insights become strategic enablers of transformational growth for both Southern Glazer’s and our trading partners.

“Since the 2016 combination of Southern Wine & Spirits and Glazer’s, we’ve come a long way in uniting our strengths, expanding our capabilities, and setting the pace for the industry ― and we’re just getting started,” they continue. “We’re building on our legacy while bringing fresh perspectives that keep us future-focused and customer-first. At the core of it all is our culture, grounded in our HEART Values and our commitment to being a family-led business. That foundation continues to guide how we lead, collaborate, and show up for the communities we serve, with our greatest strength — our people — driving everything we do.”