Beverage industry veteran Brian Fried will take the reins at Stone Distributing Company (SDC) on October 31, the company announced.
SDC was not included in the sale of its former parent company, Stone Brewing, to Sapporo USA, which closed on August 31. The San Marcos, California-based independent distributor sells more than 40 craft brands, including Stone Brewing in the brewery’s home market.
Fried will join SDC from hemp-infused, non-alcoholic beverage brand Recess, where he has been VP of sales for the company’s western division since October 2020. Prior to that, he led sales for Redwood Brands, a sales and distributing management consulting firm for spirits brands. Fried also led commercial efforts for Beam Suntory in Southern California.
The bulk of Fried’s beverage-alcohol career was at Heineken USA, where he held a variety of sales roles between 2004 and 2016.
“I’m energized by this passionate team and their portfolio of beverages,” Fried said in a press release. “SDC has built a strong portfolio of supplier partners with amazing brands that appeal to a wide range of retailers and consumers.
“There is a huge opportunity for growth in this Southern California market for a distributor like SDC that’s nimble, innovating and helping the beverage category expand,” he continued.
As general manager, Fried will manage sales and distribution of SDC’s portfolio, as well as lead “the cross-functional teams supporting the organization,” which consist of nearly 350 employees.
“SDC’s supplier partners have a world class team leading the growth of its brands,” Stone Brewing CEO Maria Stipp said in the release. “This team is passionate, the portfolio is incredible and the culture is strong.
“Brian understands this and he understands the Southern California market inside and out,” she continued. “I trust him with Stone’s brand and I’m eager to see what great things the future holds for Stone Distributing.”
Although Stone Brewing and SDC are now separate entities, Stipp will remain on the distributor’s board of directors as chairperson. In her advisory role, Stipp will be “highly active and engaged in the decision making and results of the company,” according to the release.
In addition to Fried, SDC’s leadership team includes VP of sales Anthony Trento and VP of operations Clint Graflund.
SDC’s portfolio includes national craft brands (Stone, 21st Amendment, Brooklyn Brewery, Maui Brewing, Avery and Victory) as well as regional craft brands (Societe, Russian River, Modern Times, Beachwood, El Segundo, Fremont, Crowns & Hops and Three Weavers) and beyond beer offerings (JuneShine, Ashland Hard Seltzer, Spindrift Spiked, Villager Spirits).
The distributor’s territory stretches along the coast from Isla Vista to Imperial Beach and goes as far east as Twentynine Palms. It includes all of Southern California’s major cities. SDC operates warehouses in San Marcos and Downey.