The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2016

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58  /  the tasting panel  /  april 2016 it, which explains why, along with their unique service model, alcohol beverage suppliers routinely employ its importa- tion and distribution capabilities. MHW has come a long way since its initial founding as Monsieur Henri Wines in 1934. At the time, the business functioned as a traditional French wine importer and brand marketer until PepsiCo acquired it in the 1970s. During the Cold War, Pepsi used MHW to play a pivotal role in introducing the first imported vodka to the U.S. by accepting Stolichnaya as payment for Pepsi concentrate sent to the Soviet Union. During that period, Beaudette toggled between positions at Monsieur Henri Wines and PespiCo, until lastly, he served as CFO of Monsieur Henri Wines. When Pepsi sold the distribu- tion rights to Stoli in 1994, Beaudette seized the opportunity to set a new course for the company. Together with two other ex- Pepsi executives, they implemented a novel business strategy. "We don't own brands; rather, we service them," Beaudette explains. In an era of importer and wholesaler consolida- tion, Beaudette wanted to assist the proliferation of new suppliers in finding a successful route to market. Renamed MHW, an acronym to honor its past, the firm opened with one employee. Twenty years later, MHW has assembled a multilingual workforce of over 100, many loyal for well over a decade—for some, almost two. In simple terms, the primary goal of MHW's service model is to man- age the complexities of U.S. alcohol importation and distribution, including logistics, licensing and compliance. As Beaudette puts it, "People can plug their brand into MHW, leave the back- office operations to the experts, and go focus on marketing and sales." MHW holds permits to import distilled spirits, wine, malt beverages and cider into any port in the U.S. and to ship and commercially sell prod- ucts, both foreign and domestically produced, into any U.S. state, allowing clients to sell nationally and, as a boon, create one label. The firm also holds wholesale licenses in New York, New Jersey and California, permitting direct sales to retail; has wholesaler privileges in markets like D.C. and Ohio; and is working on a wholesale operation in Florida. While beverage logistics is the cornerstone of the business, MHW "Our greatest asset is our roster of brands—such as Avión Tequila, 1800 Tequila, Hypnotiq, Skinny Girl Margarita, Presidente beer and many others— that have seen great success," says Beaudette. MHW, Ltd. CEO John Beaudette.

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