A pair of former Arizona beer distributor executives today announced the launch of a new consultancy aimed at helping U.S. craft brewers and wholesalers with strategic business planning.
Kimberly Clements, the former owner and CEO of Tucson-based Golden Eagle Distributors before the company was sold to competitor Hensley Beverage in January, and her former vice president of sales and marketing, Daniel Lust, have formed PINTS LLC.
The new PINTS venture, short for “partners invested in transformational solutions,” intends to aid craft brewers with all aspects of distributor management, including contract negotiations, new market due diligence, go-to market strategies, portfolio development, sales training and logistics. The company will also provide retail and data analysis services, Clements said.
“We’ve found that some brewers don’t really speak ‘distributor’ very well,” she told Brewbound. “The business is changing so quickly and having a vision of where things are going and seeing the bigger picture is really important.”
According to a press statement from PINTS, its consulting services are “primarily tailored craft beer segment with an emphasis on branding and marketing strategies, growth planning and development and succession planning.”
Clements and Lust, who are equal partners in the new venture, will also work directly with wholesalers. The company’s first client is Hensley Beverage, Clements said.
A full press release with additional information is included below.
Tucson, Arizona, April 4, 2016: Former beer wholesaler executives, Kimberly Clements (President) and Daniel Lust (VP Sales & Marketing) of Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc. have announced today that they have formed a partnership to launch PINTS LLC (www.pintsllc.com), a business consulting venture developed to serve craft brewers and wholesalers across the country.
PINTS (Partners Invested in Transformational Solutions) is based on the vision of providing objective business planning and strategic growth solutions for the beverage industry, primarily tailored to the craft beer segment with an emphasis on branding and marketing strategies, growth planning and development and succession planning. With a combined 34 years of beer industry experience, PINTS is positioned to be a great asset to craft brewers seeking growth and distributors seeking to enhance their craft beer portfolio by offering assistance with due diligence, market research, sales training, contract negotiations, brand awareness, retail analysis and portfolio development.
“We are thrilled to start this chapter and are excited to continue working with our friends in this awesome industry,” explained Clements. “Our goal is to help brewers realize their dreams by providing innovative solutions and building lasting partnerships and, in turn, grow the beer industry, one pint at a time.”
Clements, a third-generation beer executive, began her career in 1994 working for Golden Eagle as a marketing coordinator and a sales rep before quickly ascending through the company. She was a pioneer in the business developing many roles and departments including GED’s first Craft Brand Representative, Impact Sales Coordinator, Retail Marketing Director and eventually VP of Retail Marketing. Her career has been focused on establishing tactical and relevant sales and marketing strategies for both on and off premise and serving as a catalyst to grow the GED portfolio. Clements served as EVP of Sales & Marketing prior to taking over the reins as President of the company in 2004. She has become a familiar face throughout the industry serving on numerous industry panels. Kimberly is highly involved in the local community and has been an active member of several non-profit boards.
Lust joined Golden Eagle in 2004 as the marketing and public relations coordinator and quickly rose through the ranks serving as pricing analyst, territory sales manager and director of pricing and sales execution before being tapped as the Vice President of Sales & Marketing in 2014. During his tenure he was focused on developing internal process improvements, profitable pricing initiatives, business intelligence tools and portfolio development. His sales leadership was recognized within the organization as well as by supplier partners, including national recognition by Anheuser-Busch for developing innovative solutions to measure sales performance and execution. He is also an avid home brewer and an active member of various charitable organizations in the local community.
“Having witnessed the rapid growth of the craft beer segment from the wholesaler side of the business I am very excited to join forces with the brewers and help them execute their plans,” added Lust. “I am a beer guy at heart and it gives me great pride to stay active in the industry that I love.”
Golden Eagle Distributors, a premier distributor of alcohol and non-alcohol beverages throughout the state of Arizona since 1974 was recently acquired by Hensley Beverage Company out of Phoenix. Golden Eagle was known for providing quality beverages, excellent customer service and community service throughout the state of Arizona.