Associate Spotlights

The President’s Choice Award winner for December is committed to creating quality work to enhance the business of our customers and suppliers.

Megan Randles, a Graphic Designer on the Communications Team, strives to provide the most effective Point of Sale to her internal customers at SBG.  Her incredible attention to detail, ability to work well under pressure and excellent communication skills are valuable to our efforts to have a Best-In-Class Print Shop.

Megan’s primary focus is creating pricing, new item signage (both printed and digital), chain programming, product catalogs and grab-and-go print requests. In December, she produced 560 files, cut and packed 9,651 pieces of point of sale, and produced 36 grab-and-go orders for Account Managers. She has created quality relationships with her team and other departments, striving to provide solutions and valuable communication tools.

The President’s Choice Award winner for December has a dedication and tenacity to winning at retail and taking care of his customers.

Bob Janis, an Account Manager in the Columbus-Southwest Region, was a top performer for the month of December, leading the team with 7.8% Revenue growth. Analyzing his daily sales numbers, planning effectively and executing his plans accordingly are keys to his success. A believer in teamwork, he regularly shares his strategies and successes with his peers and is building true leadership skills. He has a positive outlook and a “get it done” attitude.

Taking care of his customers and growing his route are top priorities for Bob. Over a long holiday weekend in December, an on-premise customer missed their Friday delivery. Bob went above and beyond to make sure that his customer had product to get them through the holiday.

The President’s Choice Award winner for November makes every effort to win every single time he steps into his accounts.

Jacob Woike, an Account Manager in Cuyahoga County, has grown into a true beverage consultant for his customers. He focuses on his relationships, taking the time to build mutual trust and respect. That trust and respect has allowed Jacob to maximize the portfolio mix and space he has earned in his accounts.  Thinking outside the box, he took advantage of a recent social media trend and increased his Taylor Port revenue by over $24,000!

Jacob brings a great work ethic, a positive attitude, and a consistent drive to win at every turn. In November Jacob increased his revenue by 15.7% nearly doubling the house increase. He excelled in multiple selling channels; Convenience +11%, Grocery +30%, Liquor +108%, and Restaurant +40%

The President’s Choice Award winner for November plans his work and works his plan.

John Bergund, an Account Manager for the Columbus-West Region, strives to manage his business effectively. Understanding that distribution is the key to success, John works diligently to ensure his accounts have the products they need and the proper point of sale.

John recently met with a large on-premise customer and secured 9 of 12 “Beer of the Month” features for 2023 with an option for more as innovation items are released, a great example of his outstanding planning and execution.

In November, John achieved all four personal goals for Miller Lite, Coors Light, Twisted Tea, and Diageo and executed 100% distribution in independent off-premise accounts for the Truly Vodka Seltzer launch. He also grew his Great Lakes Christmas Ale volume by 5% and secured 12 Columbus Brewing Co Track Suit Santa draft placements.

The President’s Choice Award winner for September has a team-first attitude.

Jason Shelton, a delivery driver handling the Westlake/North Olmstead area, continually strives for self-improvement. He has held several positions within the company and with each move, he took advantage of an opportunity to learn a new skill and earn certification and licensing to enhance his role and add value to the organization.

In his newest position as a delivery driver, Jason has had an immediate impact. He has managed to quickly build relationships with his customers and is highly respected by his team for his willingness to help, positive attitude, and his leadership by example. In September Jason delivered 10,970ce’s in 285 stops and had perfect attendance.

The President’s Choice Award winner for September regularly goes above and beyond to help any department.

Barry Sutherland, the Point of Sale Coordinator, runs a tight ship in the POS department. His excellent organizational skills are essential to effectively handling the volume of materials that are shipped to our warehouse daily. In order to expedite the use of POS in the market, Barry puts together display pieces, builds sample displays, and posts pictures of the items and suggestions for their use to enhance the work of the Fields Sales teams. His extra efforts go a long way in showcasing our products at retail.

Beyond his regular responsibilities, Barry frequently goes the extra step to help wherever he can. He has been a regular helper on large delivery routes, picked up loads from local breweries, dropped off POS to customers, and helped pick up and drop off special event trailers. His wealth of knowledge, combined with an unwavering willingness to help, make it is easy to understand why he so well respected by his peers.

The President’s Choice Award winner for August is committed every day to provide the best service to our customers.

Eddie Duncan, a delivery driver, understands the importance of good communication. He regularly speaks with the Account Managers, giving feedback and informing them of potential opportunities. Eddie has built trusting relationships with his customers and peers based on that communication and the excellent service he strives to provide.

On two separate occasions in August, Eddie had chain C-Store accounts that initially refused an order. Eddie notified the Account Managers and, in both instances, was able to go back and redeliver the orders that same day. His phone call saved the operations team an additional delivery and ensured our products were available.

The President’s Choice Award winner for August has a passion to win.

Greg Ehrhart, an Account Manager, covers a wide territory from Canton to Millersburg as well as Dover and New Philadelphia. He sells one of the largest beer portfolios in the company. Greg effectively manages his territory and brands through efficient planning and a consistent work ethic.

Well-liked by his peers and trusted by his customers, Greg has built and nurtured relationships through leadership and first-rate customer service. He focuses on the basics, distribution, chain program execution, and dominant point of sale, and his results consistently pace the Division.

The President’s Choice Award winner for July takes great pride in his work and does not stop until the job is done to completion.  

Courtney Robey, a first shift warehouse associate, typically works loading the pick area and unloading transfers, but he can often be found helping in other areas when needed. Retail customers and Account Managers are always greeted with a smile and a kind word as he helps to pull orders or load POS into vehicles. His friendly demeanor and positive attitude foster a great working environment and sense of teamwork.

One example of his thoughtful and helping nature occurred in July when he made the extra effort to ensure the product for a special order that was received into inventory late was loaded that morning for delivery to the customer. This extra effort was greatly appreciated by both the Account Manager and the customer.

The President’s Choice Award winner for July goes above and beyond on a daily basis to bring a new level of customer service, dedication, and excellence to the table.

Matt Slutz, a Special Event and Draft Services team member, typically services the Youngstown area but willingly helps where needed. His draft system knowledge and expertise keep the beer flowing and our customers happy at all of our draft accounts.

Special Event execution requires hard work and planning, and Matt leads the charge. These events are an opportunity to showcase Superior Beverage and our brands through quality products and brand awareness and are essential to our growth. Matt’s customers continuously compliment his service, knowledge, and hard work and bring their business back to us yearly.

 In July, Matt handled one of the summer's biggest events, the Y-Live concert featuring Luke Bryan. This event required a great deal of equipment, and Matt made sure the event went off without a hitch.

The President’s Choice Award winner for June conducts himself with honesty and integrity every day.

Jason Payne, a delivery driver in the Athens and Marietta area, strives for self-improvement and takes pride in a job well done. The rapport and mutual respect with his supervisors and Account Managers have been instrumental to the success of the team. He has built excellent relationships with his customers and goes out of his way to deliver exceptional customer service. His customers are not shy in their praise for Jason and he has often been described as “the best delivery driver we have ever had”.

Brew Week brought extra focus to the Athens area and Jason knocked it out of the park. Additional kegs, off-day deliveries, and new accounts did not phase his great attitude or the smile on his face.

The President’s Choice Award winner for June has a passion for excellence and a work ethic to match.

Tyler Marshall, a Large Format Wine Account Manager, services the North Canton area and approaches his business and the business of his customers with great enthusiasm. He has built true relationships through communication, follow through and product knowledge. Tyler’s chain program execution is top notch and he is focused daily on closing any distribution voids.

In June, Tyler’s passionate pursuit translated to success as he led the Large Format Wine Team in revenue growth with an increase of 26%.

The President’s Choice Award winner for May encompasses the tenets of our Vision Statement on a daily basis.

Michelle Harris, a Sales Analyst, provides the Field Sales and Central Resources teams with tools and resources to enhance their business. Attention to detail, willingness to adapt, and sheer determination for a job well done are keys to Michelle’s success.

In May, Michelle was asked to build and complete a complex tracker for the “Fix the Mix” incentive for Boston Beer. Michelle’s final product clearly called out opportunities and wins to the Brand and Management teams and resulted in outstanding results company-wide. She also followed up with an in-depth after-action analysis which was critical to measuring the efficacy of the incentive and a key factor to driving engagement in the future.

Continually striving for self-improvement, Michelle does not let obstacles stand in her way. She continually finds the tools she needs and masters the necessary skills to get the job done.

Tim Warren, a Warehouse Team member on the first shift, is skilled in a variety of positions and certified on several different pieces of material handling equipment. His flexibility along with his experience and knowledge make him a valuable asset to both the Production Team and the Warehouse Team.

Tim can be found in a variety of roles due to both his skills and willingness to help where needed. He handles each duty with determination and is continually looking for ways to improve efficiency. Tim has an excellent attendance and punctuality record and brings a positive attitude and great work ethic every day.

The President’s Choice Award winner for April strives to be the distributor of choice and a true beverage consultant for his customers.

Mark Guzik, an Account Manager servicing the Zanesville and Cambridge areas, successfully manages his robust geography and limited portfolio with great time management and organization skills. Mark is quick to share his ideas and wins with his team and leads by example.

Revenue and distribution growth were top priorities for Mark in April, and he achieved both. He added 302 new effective placements, which paid off as he grew revenue on his route by 13% or $22,200. His positive attitude and disciplined approach are key factors to his success.

The President’s Choice Award winner for April has a passion for the industry and a strong competitive spirit.

Tony Milligan, an On-Premise Account Manager in the downtown Cleveland market, has built great relationships with his customers through extensive product knowledge and excellent customer service. He knows the strength of our portfolio and has become a true beverage consultant by selling the entire book and understanding the needs of his customers. Below is a recap of

The President’s Choice Award winner for March takes great pride in doing the job correctly and efficiently.

Mike Sommer, the shift lead Supervisor for the Maintenance Team, is a wealth of knowledge for anything mechanical and is always highly engaged with the team. His organizational skills and attention to detail allow him to handle day-to-day maintenance responsibilities, manage the Vertique parts inventory and guide newer shift leaders to grow in their roles. He is always quick to help other associates and is a positive influence on those around him.

Mike was instrumental in the successful implementation of eMaint, our new maintenance management system. The ease with which he diagnoses and performs repairs was most evident the day he talked the team through a Vertique repair while completing a roadside truck repair.

The President’s Choice Award winner for March lives by the tenets of our Vision Statement by continually striving for self-improvement.

Alonzo Melton, a second-shift production team member, comes to work with a ready-to-go mindset. He consistently has a positive attitude and is always willing to help his fellow teammates when needed. Alonzo often asks questions about the warehouse processes to see the big picture and how his job contributes to that.

Alonzo averaged 277 cases per hour for an impressive total of 23,756 cases for March. He had only 21 errors all month, giving him an incredible 99.91% accuracy rating.

The President’s Choice Award winner for February understands the importance of teamwork.

Brad Osterloh is a Delivery Driver, who consistently strives for self-improvement and increased efficiency. He takes a teamwork approach with his Account Managers and communicates opportunities and concerns with them on a regular basis. Brad has built excellent relationships with his accounts and often goes out of his way to make sure their deliveries are accurate.

February brought a large snow and ice storm to Ohio and Brad knew with that forecast there would be significant operational challenges. He took the initiative to identify a handful of accounts that would be desperate for product. After a full day of delivering, he picked and loaded the orders for those accounts and delivered them ahead of the storm. Brad’s proactive approach both enhanced the business of our customers and suppliers by getting them the product they needed and also reduced the operational burden of delayed deliveries. His leadership and initiative are appreciated by his peers.

The President’s Choice Award winner for February is success-driven and lives by the tenets of our Vision Statement every day.

Josh leads by example, and that was evident in February, as he led the charge for his team to achieve the High Noon Retail Initiative. He planned his stores and executed his plan. His hard work in February was not limited to High Noon, and his results show that.

Congratulations, Josh! 

The President’s Choice Award winner for January has a love for the beer industry and a passion for helping others.

Rick Welo, our POS Coordinator in the Glenwillow warehouse, is responsible for receiving, cataloging, and organizing the point-of-sale materials from our suppliers. His positive attitude and engaging personality are respected and appreciated by our associates and our suppliers. He has built great relationships through excellent communication and follow through and will drop what he is doing to help anyone find a specific item and offer suggestions on how to use them creatively.

Congratulations, Rick!

The President’s Choice Award winner for January is a tenacious competitor and excellent relationship builder.

Mike Bates, an Account Manager in the Lancaster area, is new to his route this year but has made an immediate impact. He has built new relationships through communication, excellent follow-through, and working harder than the competitionMike’s planning, execution, and hard work in January have set the stage for a great year in his territory.

Congratulations, Mike!