Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/621120
A S P E C I A L H O M E B A S E Another factor that brought Keyes to Brown-Forman was listening to Brown family members and employees who told him how special the city of Louisville is. "I'd never spent a lot of time in Louisville, but now I've grown to love it," he says. "I've lived here for the better part of twenty-four years, and to see what the family does in the community makes me proud to be a Brown-Forman employee." Campbell and Robinson were born in Louisville, and all three Browns have spent signif- icant time there during their lives. They share Keyes' love of Kentucky and the city that has served as the company's headquarters for over a century. "I think it's hard to untangle the Brown family from Bour- bon, Louisville and Kentucky," Garvin says. "I'm not sure where each starts and fi nishes. They all feed into each other – the culture of Louisville as a crossroads with a Midwestern work ethic and southern hospitality seems to work very well for our industry, company and family." "I sometimes wonder, if the Brown family were from another city, would Brown-Forman still be a family com- pany?" he adds. "If we were in another industry, would the company still be around? I tend to think the answer to both questions is no. We have a unique combination in Louisville, the beverage alcohol business and the culture of our company, which have allowed us to survive so long." In His Own Words To hear Robinson speak about his family and his aspirations within Brown-Forman, visit www.beveragedynamics.com/generations. " There's a very humble attitude in our family. There are nearly 160 family members with various levels of ownership, but there's no one cousin whose opinion matters more than the rest of the family. We're there to do what's right for the company and the broader family. Egos have been checked at the door. " — Robinson Brown IV, North American Territory Manager for Florida Brown- Forman acquires Finlandia Vodka Brown- Forman acquires Chambord Liqueur. 1996 2004 2006 2007 Brown- Forman introduces Woodford Reserve. Brown- Forman acquires Casa Herradura in Mexico, and assumes ownership of Don Eduardo. "The position that opened up for me was the fi rst of its kind to handle both wine and spirits, since at that time our divisions were separate," Robinson says. "I went through nine interviews before landing the job as the on-premise manager for Kentucky in 2004." Currently, Robinson is North American manager for the Florida market, but it was recently announced that he will be promoted to Middle East and India Territory Direc- tor in Dubai. M A N A G I N G F A M I LY R E L A T I O N S H I P S One man, who Garvin describes as "a wonderful guy and one of my heroes," supervised all three Browns during their time at Brown-Forman. That man is Brown-Forman North American Region president, Mike Keyes. During Campbell's stint as Southern Comfort U.S. Man- ager, Garvin's time as Jack Daniel's manager in Western Europe and Robinson's most recent post in Florida, all three men worked directly under Keyes. "I got to see those guys grow up in the business, mature and add tremendous value to Brown-Forman," he says. Keyes began in the industry at Stroh Brewery in Detroit, but he saw during the late 80s that the company would likely become a victim to consolidation. Next he went to Hiram Walker in Windsor, Ontario, just before the company was bought by Allied-Lyons. "I got to see a family-owned company go through a huge change – one that wasn't positive," Keyes says. "I stayed there for about four years before going back to a family-run environment, where I am now." > more > 31