Associate Spotlights

The President’s Choice Award winner for December has an assertive approach to the market and a teamwork mentality.

Brandon Hanson, an Account Manager in the Columbus West region, has built quality relationships with his customers through hard work and great execution. Brandon’s teamwork and leadership skills stood out in December also. He generously volunteered to help a Sales Support Specialist cover another outlying route during the busy holiday load in weeks. After working hard to cover his own territory, he ensured those additional customers had what they needed and were prepared for upcoming seasonal transitions and the Truly Margarita launch.

Congratulations, Brandon!

The President’s Choice Award winner for December has a great attitude, an excellent work ethic, and a willingness to help when needed.

Jeff Nicholas, a Delivery Driver who services Carroll and Tuscarawas Counties, takes a lot of pride in his work. His route takes him to two very rural areas where the majority of his stops are called on by our Central Resources Team. Jeff is the face of Superior Beverage for most of those customers. He has built great rapport on his route by making customer service his top priority He is efficient but methodical as he strives for safe and accurate deliveries.

Jeff provides a great deal of support to the associates he works with. From training new drivers, helping a fellow driver when needed, and regularly communicating with Account Managers and Customer Service to resolve a problem or inform of an opportunity, Jeff is a leader by example.

Congratulations, Jeff. 

The President’s Choice Award winner for November has a passion for the business and strives to win every day.

Chris Gorey, a Universal Account Manager in the Cleveland region, dominates his route through preparation, daily planning, and execution. He has built trust and professional relationships with his customers allowing him to focus on building their business.

Chris continues to take initiative to grow his accounts and brands.

Congratulations, Chris.

The President’s Choice Award winner for November continuously goes the extra mile to help the team get the job done.

Bobby Weese, a member of the first shift production team, has a great work ethic and a positive attitude. He strives for self-improvement and is always willing to learn and accept new responsibilities.

In November, Bobby agreed to repeatedly adjust his schedule in order to help delivery when they were short-staffed. He came in three hours early to help on a delivery route and after completing the route, Bobby could be found helping the production team build pallets.

Congratulations, Bobby!

The President’s Choice Award for October is awarded to an associate whose years of industry knowledge and thirst for self-improvement have been the foundation for his success.

Brad Bayer, a Purchasing Agent, primarily handles procurement for Miller Coors, our largest supplier. Brad has used his experience and professionalism over the years to build great relationships with our suppliers and shipping partners. As we continue to navigate struggles in the supply chain, the relationships he has built along with his aggressiveness and innovative strategies have become increasingly beneficial.

Congratulations, Brad!

The President’s Choice Award winner for October is enthusiastic, strives for self-improvement, and is always willing to lend a hand.

Tyler Sweeney, an Account Manager on the Columbus West team, has embraced his route and takes ownership of every account. He is one of the first to meet a challenge and makes sure his chain c-store programming is locked in “Day 1”. He has turned one of those c-store seasonal displays into a revolving display making it the gift that keeps on giving!

Congratulations, Tyler!

The President’s Choice Award winner for September starts every day with a positive attitude.

Barry Sutherland manages the Point of Sale for the Columbus warehouse. His innovative approach to categorizing and tracking the POS that comes in from suppliers and goes out to retail is organized and efficient and allows the Sales Department to be more effective and creative in the market.

Always willing to help when and where needed, Barry often lends his talents to other departments. In September, he was found on a delivery truck helping the Operations Team, hanging cooler wraps in support of Field Sales and covering chain resets for Central Sales, all while keeping a watchful eye on POS. Barry is a great example of a true team player and his actions help to elevate those around him.

The President’s Choice Award winner for August is the embodiment of honesty and integrity.

Terry Donahue, an Inventory Control Specialist, is tasked with keeping an accurate account of our inventory through daily warehouse cycle counting. Her diligence and attention to detail assure precise and timely data on one of our most important assets. The logistical constraints of the past 18 months have only heightened the importance of detail in Terry’s daily responsibilities.

Terry has been described as someone that you can go to with almost any question, even those outside of her normal responsibilities and she will go out of her way to help you whenever possible. Her communication and follow-through skills are excellent and her determination to get to the source of a problem is unwavering.

In September, the Inventory team was short-handed and Terry didn’t hesitate to step up and help. She covered the additional responsibilities for her department and also trained a new associate.

The President’s Choice Award winner for August lives and works by the tenets of our Vision Statement.

Devin Ohl, a delivery driver for the Mansfield team, demonstrates a tireless pursuit of efficiency, customer service, and teamwork. His route is the highest volume with the largest stop count on his team and he consistently performs at a very high level. Devin has developed excellent relationships with his customers and strives to enhance their business whenever he has the opportunity.

In August, Devin was asked to fill in while his supervisor was on vacation. Devin went above and beyond in his temporary duties as he not only handled his route but also scheduled repairs and preventative maintenance on equipment, and shuffled resources to gain efficiency. His willingness to step up when needed and commitment to a job well done are shining examples of his team-first attitude.

The President’s Choice Award winner for August has been described as “the Ultimate Team Player”.

Ed Loychik, is a delivery driver in the Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula markets. He strives to represent the tenets of our Vision Statement every day as he insists on excellence and works hard to enhance the business of our customers and suppliers. Ed is an integral part of our Driver Training program and is a great example of proper organization, efficiency, and pace for our new drivers.

In August, as he does every month, Ed was quick to help any driver in need. On multiple occasions after finishing his route, he helped fellow drivers who were behind. Ed also helped with Same Day Deliveries during the Labor Day build week to assure our customers were set up for a successful holiday.

The President’s Choice Award winner for July is a true team player.

Ryan Hardway, a system operator on the first shift Production Team, has mastered many different warehouse positions in his 8 years with SBG. He uses this extensive knowledge to keep production running smoothly and efficiently minimizing potential mispicks and not on truck issues.

In July, Ryan was instrumental in the progress and improvement of the flow rack replenishment team allowing for a smooth operation during a very busy month. His willingness to help where needed, enthusiasm for learning new skills, and adding to his equipment certifications, as well as his exemplary work ethic are a few examples of why he is a true warehouse leader.

The President’s Choice Award winner for July went above and beyond normal duties to help when needed.

Barry May, a shuttle driver, typically runs the shuttle route to the Lexington warehouse as well as picking up loads from local breweries such as BrewDog and Columbus Brewing Company.

In July, the Lexington location was short two delivery drivers and Barry stepped up to help. He rearranged his schedule, without complaint, in order to handle both the Columbus to Lexington and Lexington back to Columbus shuttle routes and still fulfill his brewery runs. When a new shuttle driver was hired, Barry embraced guiding him and continued with double duty until the new driver was fully trained. His feedback and guidance in this process were very much appreciated.

The President’s Choice Award for June is awarded to an associate who is committed to a job well done.

Joel Holland, an Account Manager in the Mansfield market, knows that good planning and hard work equal success. In June, Joel balanced the very busy summer selling season and a major event in his territory, the Indy Car series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He set his customers up for victory by fully preparing them for the influx of race fans with creative displays and excellent retail execution.

The President’s Choice Award winner for June has the drive and determination to win at retail.

John Cirillo, a Large Format Beer Account Manager, treats every single one of his customers with the same mindset and dedication to grow their business. In June, he led 23 Account Managers in his Region in overall revenue growth, and is continually a top\performer on his team and striving every day to stay there.

The President’s Choice Award winner for May continually demonstrates his desire to connect with customers in an effort to enhance their business.

Tyler Cheatham, a Large Format Beer Account Manager, has an uncanny ability to build trust with his customers through hard work, honesty, and a consultative selling approach. He has made a smooth transition with his recent move from the Universal market to the Chain market by continuing to deploy his customer-focused sales tactics.

The President’s Choice Award for May is awarded to an associate who has a competitive spirit and the drive to win in every account every day.

Joe Almaguer, an Account Manager, showed again in May why he is one of the best in the business. Just take a walk through one of his stores and you will see why! His customers appreciate his hard work and communication and reward him for his efforts. Joe in turn is a true beverage consultant, selling the entire portfolio and providing creative POS with each customer in mind.

The President’s Choice Award for April is awarded to an associate who is always pursuing more efficient and effective ways to get the job done.

Chuck Beireis, a shuttle driver for the Mansfield location, often jumps in to help load and move trailers to ensure the loaded trucks get to Mansfield on time. He is also quick to make an extra trip if shorthanded. Chuck has led by example with his teamwork, work ethic, positive attitude, and excellent communication. In April, when asked to temporarily fill in on his old delivery route, Chuck didn’t hesitate.

His former customers were happy to see him and they continued to receive excellent service. Chuck was still an asset to the shuttle team by making sure the trailers were hooked up and ready to go after his delivery route. His commitment and dedication to his team and the organization are appreciated.

The President’s Choice Award winner for April lives and works by the tenets of honesty and integrity.

Tristan Willmott, a Delivery Driver in the Kent/Ravenna area, shines by example on a daily basis. He takes great pride in doing his job correctly including all pre and post checks, and running mobile cast at a 100% rating. He understands the importance of good customer service and goes out of his way to provide just that. He runs his route effectively and efficiently and has built excellent relationships with his customers.

Tristan is a true team player; he helps other drivers finish their route when needed and ran shuttle trips to the Columbiana drop lot to help the shuttle department. He communicates well with Customer Service and RECON and often drops off cases to an account on his way home when needed. In the month of April, Tristan delivered 15,334 CE's with zero on-truck breakage and only one case of damage on a pallet.

Mitch Tomazic, an Account Manager for the Columbus-West Region, has a positive energy and enthusiasm that sets him up to win in his accounts every day. With a route that is 70% on premise, Mitch was prepared through strategic planning and constant communication with suppliers and customers to beat the competition while the business returns. In March, he secured 64 new taps! His off premise business did not take a back seat as his tenacity and hustle earned him an increase in off premise volume and growth in revenue, leading all Account Managers. Below are some supplier highlights:

Mitch shares successes and ideas with his team daily. He sends a “Mitchell’s Weekly Brewsletter” to keep customers informed of new items, featuring ideas and inventory, making him a true beverage consultant.

Congratulations Mitch Tomazic.

Emily Sweat, a valued member of the Human Resource team, has fully embraced her role as Talent Acquisition Recruiter. Primarily focusing her efforts on recruiting talent for the Operations team, Emily has worked closely with management to understand and recognize the traits and skill set required by applicants to be successful in their roles. Her efforts support the entire organization and strengthen our team. She is exploring ways that challenge the conventional methods of attracting new associates and is implementing those ideas with positive results.

Emily has excellent communication skills not only with the departments she is recruiting for but also with new applicants, leaving a positive impression of Superior Beverage Group.  She is passionate about her job and is dedicated to enhancing the business of her (internal) customers. Her efforts and persistence will have a lasting effect on our pursuit to be the employer of choice.

Congratulations Emily Sweat.

Bradley Stebel, a Sales Support Specialist, handles the routes and responsibilities for Account Managers when needed. In February he enthusiastically filled in on a Business Development Managers’ route for 2 weeks. He took ownership of that route and treated it as if it were his own. He planned each day and was prepared with pricing communication, shelf tags, new item information, and point of sale. He prepared a weekly recap for the BDM and Regional Director to communicate any changes and action items needed upon the BDM’s return.

Bradley’s constant communication, excellent customer service, and preparedness allowed him to make an impact at retail. He secured over 65 new placements, successfully launched several new key brands, and helped prepare for St. Patrick’s Day. Bradley knocked it out of the park due to his motivation, teamwork, and retail execution.

Congratulations Bradley Stebel. 

Jon Bagley, a Maintenance Technician, set a personal goal to earn his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and he achieved that goal in February of this year after only a month of training. Jon would frequently stay after his shift to get CDL training and would come in early to fuel and move trailers for the delivery team to get additional practice.

Jon never missed a beat with his regular maintenance duties during his training. In addition to his CDL work, he also filled in on first shift when needed, put together a new warehouse space on the mezzanine level, completed 29 Vertque repairs, completed 72 truck repairs, and learned new maintenance and inventory tracking program. He also had a new baby in February. That’s an impressive list of accomplishments in the shortest month of the year, all with a great attitude and a smile!

Congratulations Jon Bagley. 

Hamidou Sondo, a member of the warehouse production team, takes great pride in a job well done and has a lot to be proud of. He continues to impress with his speed and accuracy when picking orders and sets the standard for leaving the warehouse clean and organized at the end of each shift. In January, Hamidou led his team by picking 26,708 cases for an average of 225 cases per hour.

Hamidou is laser focused on achieving and maxing out the build bonus not only for himself but for the team. When comfortable that he has secured his goal, he often allows his peers to take the “Cadillac” pallets that will help achieve their goals. His positive attitude, great work ethic, friendly manner, and consistent results have elevated the game on his shift.

Congratulations Hamidou Sondo. 

Josh Miller, an Account Manager on the Large Format Beer team in the Canton market, has a desire to be the best and his attention to detail makes him a leader on his team. In January, Josh led all Large Format Beer Account Managers with revenue growth and volume growth. With the highly anticipated launch of Truly Tea, Josh planned his accounts and executed his plan to finish, once again, at the top with almost 1,000 cases.

Josh has a strategic and tenacious approach to his business. His ability to sell the entire portfolio and provide true beverage consultation to his customers has earned him considerable respect in the market and on his team. He has embraced the structure change and enjoys being responsible for executing his vision for each account.

Congratulations Josh Miller.