StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/173064
incentive program rewarding warehouse order pickers who perform at a 99.9 percent accuracy rate. After taking a close look at current operations and identifying best practices in other control states, a new division was created to direct the agency's product placement and marketing efforts. ABC hired a director of marketing to develop and manage agency-wide marketing and promotions functions, including promotions planning and analysis, store branding and product planning and performance. The newly formed licensing unit located in ABC's Central Office continues to improve citizen experience with the application process. Licensing centralization has established consistency in requirements and continues to decrease processing times. To address demographic and population changes, the ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement realigned a number of regional office territories to better serve stakeholders. A new Richmond regional office opened in a location more central to the Region 6 customer base. To better equip ABC agents to enforce the commonwealth's alcohol laws, the bureau purchased a Field Support Vehicle (FSV) with $750,000 of asset forfeiture funds. Virginia is home to hundreds of events and festivals each year, the majority of which involve adult beverages. The FSV functions as a centralized command post for ABC coordinating with local law enforcement and other public safety entities at these events and serves as an onsite police base for citizens in need of assistance. Education initiatives this year included the Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Project (YADAPP) which hosted nearly 500 students and adult educators. ABC also began coordinating the Governor's Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (GOSAP) program. The Substance Abuse Awareness Vital for Virginia Youth (SAVVY) initiative hosted three successful Expos in Central, Northern and Eastern Virginia to provide prevention resources and networking to help combat youth substance abuse. The Alcohol and Aging Awareness Group (AAAG) continues to provide solutions to substance misuse problems facing older Americans. ABC remains committed to the public safety of Virginia's citizens by providing alcohol education for people of all ages, excellent customer service at each retail location and a consistent source of revenue for some of the commonwealth's most important programs. he West Virginia TAlcoholAdministration Beverage Control (WVABCA) reported record wholesale distilled spirit sales of $90,566,267.89 for FY2013. For the first time in history, the WVABCA exceeded the ninety million dollar mark, with a 2.38% increase over last year. Additionally, WVABCA sold 696,505 cases in FY2013. The increase over last year was only 2,169 cases or 0.32% as consumers in West Virginia continue to purchase higher end products. The Distribution Center bailment portfolio currently lists 1,975 active codes and provides 839 codes for special orders. The bailment inventory selection provides the retailers with a vast array of products for their customers and the WVABCA continues to monitor and review the movement of its current inventory to balance with consumer's demands and new listings. In an effort to provide retailers with better access, WVABCA strives to continually enhance the web portal. This 24/7 self-serve model now provides will call orders, add-ons, special orders, returns and claims. Retailers can generate specific reports on an as-needed basis using a login access to the web portal and have various methods by which they can consume the data. In addition to the bailment reports, the retailers may now view current and historical pricing information, sales marketing trends and detailed graphs in real time. These improvements have provided greater flexibility for the retailers and WVABCA staff. This has also allowed us to efficiently track the status of backorders. The activity at the Distribution Center has not been limited to shipping and receiving of spirits. Extensive capital improvements to modernize the facility ensure continued services. As we reported in 2012, the agency purchased a 250kW Cummins Diesel Generator; this served the agency well after a deracho in July 2012 left much of the West Virginia without power for many days. We are pleased to report the project to replace the 298 florescent electrical light units with High Efficiency Warehouse Lighting has been completed. The investment eliminated nearly 100 lighting units and reduced the amount of future replacement bulbs. The energy efficient units will reduce the monthly electric bill and provide a better quality of illumination throughout the Distribution Center, which promotes safety for the equipment operators and allows for greater accuracy when picking inventory. Other improvements inside the Distribution Center include replacing the heating system, installation of a new secure wireless network, Cisco Phone System and CAT-6 network to replace legacy cabling and to prepare for future enhancements. We also made upgrades to the security system and repairs to the concrete floor and outdoor loading pad. The outside of the 150,000 sq. foot building has been painted and additional improvements include brush removal and corrections to the drainage system. In the coming months the agency plans to make repairs to the roof and the sky lights and address issues related to the water suppressant system. A major project that will positively impact many StateWays I www.stateways.com I September/October 2013 25 WEST VIRGINIA Ron Moats Commissioner West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commission