Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/44136
COVER STORY bullpen for future leaders. Now, at age 42, Bradney is running Southern's total business in Southern California—its sales teams, on- and off- premise—as the VP/GM for Southern California, but his eye remains firmly set on the future. "I think the part of this opportunity that could separate us from the competition is the way we go to market," he attests. "We are not only a leader as the largest wholesaler in the state, but also are best in the way we service our customers and maintain our relationships with our supplier part- ners. With new systems in place—from reporting to business intelligence to our unique organizational structures— we can exert more effectiveness in the field. You can't be as successful as we are if you don't do both the big and little things right. Every division has its own accountabilities, and we're not just surviving day-to-day. We are connect- ing all the dots, which enables us to get better all the time." Jon Newlon "Not only are we building an exciting portfolio of brands, we are forming an internal team of experts to steward these brands—a group of dynamic import specialists who are so knowledgeable, so educated, that we rely on them to educate our sales force." ─Jon Newlon Jon Newlon's career began as many do in our industry . . . working in a res- taurant. While attending the University of Hawaii, Newlon worked the front of the house before moving to California after graduation, where he became General Manager for a restaurant called John Dominis in the 1990s. "It was then that I ran into a fine gentleman from SWS–CA named Jim Allen." While many people have a Jim Allen story to tell (Allen has presided over Southern divisions throughout the U.S. and is now back in the Golden State as SVP, Fine Wine), Newlon's is iconic. "Jim called me at 10:00 p.m., asking me to open the doors of John Dominis so he could bring in Paul Draper from Ridge Vineyards. He preached the good word about Southern to Paul all night, and Paul finally agreed to be represented by Southern. He wrote me a thank-you letter and gave me an invitation to call him should I ever think about working for Southern. Well, 50 / the tasting panel / october 201 1 Jon Newlon is the VP/General Manager for American Wines & Spirits of California. a year later, the restaurant business seemed challenging and my wife was about to have another baby, so I picked up the phone. I interviewed with Bernie Selmanson and Craig Schisler, and it was a deal; I would work for this newly-formed company called American Wines & Spirits as one of its first salespeople." Newlon was promoted to VP in 2001 and ran American, with its growing portfolio of fine wines, for six years until he was called to run the on-prem- ise division for Southern in SoCal. "I was sad to leave the American portfolio after all the hard work, but I 'learned to dance' on-premise. The good news is that I was able to implement new systems and programming that are still in place today." In January of this year, Newlon was brought back to American Wines to run the state as VP/General Manager. "It's a new dawn for this company," Newlon says with pride. "My vision of uniting the north and south offices—through the implantation of corporate best practices, programming and systems— became a reality. This released the combined capabilities and resources of the divisions across the state." But the most exciting initiative for American Wines & Spirits these days is to assemble the most prestigious portfolio in the world. "We are actively in acquisition and growth mode," Newlon assures THE TASTING PANEL. "Not only are we building an excit- ing portfolio of domestic and import brands, we are forming an internal team of experts to steward these brands—a group of dynamic import specialists who are so knowledgeable, so educated about wines from the global arena, that we rely on them to educate our sales force." Newlon realizes the bur- geoning importance of import brands in today's market: "We recognize that imported brands are a big part of the business on the East Coast, and see how wine buyers are following that trend here in the West. The world has become a smaller place, and our invest- ment in our import specialists will lead to better education for the buyers and, ultimately, their customers." Newlon and his team also see the pattern of influence that artisanal spirits brands have on the buying com- munity. It's not only the mixologist who is impacted by this trend; sommeliers enjoy the hand-sell of small production whiskies, tequilas and liqueurs. Even high-end vodkas have a niche in this category. We see artisanal spirits as a specialized focus for American. Implementing an educational and entertaining interactive seminar series called "Story Time," Newlon's sales force integrates with the teams from the Southern and Pacific selling divisions to taste and learn about the new wine and spirits brands entering into his awe- inspiring portfolio. "We've brought in some great names," announces Newlon. "Companies like Justin, Domaine Select and Marc de Grazia have recently joined. Brands like DeLeón tequila, Purity vodka and Fair Trade have entered our spirits side. For Story Time, the company's prin- cipals—not the local sales reps—invoke the brands' stories with the passion and content that they expect the sales associ- ates to reflect on the streets—because every brand has a unique story to tell." PHOTO: ROB BROWN