State affiliates take Wirtz Beverage name; Bolstering one team and one vision

Wirtz Beverage Group announced today that the company will bring together its national portfolio of wine, spirit and beer distributorships under the Wirtz Beverage Group name.

State affiliates will begin doing business in May 2009 under Wirtz Beverage Illinois, Wirtz Beverage Iowa, Wirtz Beverage Minnesota, Wirtz Beverage Nevada and Wirtz Beverage Wisconsin.

"This move is the latest step in our strategic organizational alignment aimed at becoming the leading premium total beverage alcohol distributor by 2012," explained W. Rockwell "Rocky" Wirtz, Wirtz Beverage Group President. "With the help of our corporate team, we have put the infrastructure in place to provide a best-in-class model. Now our state affiliates can leverage their reputation for quality with the resources, efficiencies and innovation of a national distributor."

Companies included in the initiative are Judge & Dolph and Callison Distributing of Illinois; Hawkeye Wine & Spirits of Iowa; Griggs, Cooper & Co. and Mark VII of Minnesota; DeLuca Liquor & Wine, Silver State Liquor & Wine, and Coors of Las Vegas in Nevada; and Edison Liquor Corporation of Wisconsin.

Mr. Wirtz indicated that the initiative is aimed at driving more support to the company's multi-state operations while also serving as a platform for future strategic partnerships with compatible entities.

Assuming the title of Senior Vice President/General Manager to manage state operations are Julian Burzynski for Wirtz Beverage Illinois, Kevin Ryan for Wirtz Beverage Iowa and Wirtz Beverage Minnesota, Ray Norvell for Wirtz Beverage Nevada, and Dick Deutsch for Wirtz Beverage Wisconsin.

"Our strategic alignment gives each state the flexibility to address the dynamics of their unique supplier and customer relationships while our national brand provides the necessary resources and efficiencies to deliver top-line growth," noted Wirtz. "Together, Wirtz Beverage Group is differentiating itself from the competition by using innovation and transparency to deliver for our premier partners."

With more than 3,000 employees, Wirtz Beverage Group is among the leading alcohol beverage distributors in the country. The company is headquartered in Chicago alongside its parent company, Wirtz Corporation. Among Wirtz Corporation holdings are the Chicago Blackhawk Hockey Team, The United Center and interests in banking, insurance and real estate throughout the country.