Creating and executing an effective growth strategy is where a lot of successful Makers hit a stumbling block. Their wine and spirits products are selling well, there’s demand and room for expansion, but what do the next steps look like? LibDib’s Director of Maker Experience, Tanya Riesbeck, has the answers. Step one is simple: “Get out from behind the still, get out of the cellar and BE the Seller,” she says. “We know that buyers want authenticity and more than ever, people want to support small and local wine and spirits producers who pour so much into their craft.”  It’s sound advice--just as much as it’s fun wordplay. Putting a face to the name of the brand is helpful: it shows passion and pride and adds a grassroots sensibility.  Look at the recent success of Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin. Of course, it certainly helps that he is the famous movie star Ryan Reynolds… but the point still stands. It wa

James Williams Edge Beverage is one of the leading U.S.-based beverage consulting firms. Their success comes from a fractional services model, which allows small and mid-sized drink brands to work with account executives within a reasonable pricing model. They assist with a variety of sales and distribution services, including business planning, creating distribution networks and retail placement. While many brands are seeing difficulty selling into accounts industry-wide, Edge has helped a number of LibDib Makers find success. One spirits brand in particular, Kozuba & Sons, utilized Edge’s resources (and LibDib’s three-tier distribution platform!) to turn a full product refresh into hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales and dozens of new accounts. Their success came just within the last few months, even in the midst of a pandemic! Read our recent case study for more info on the distillery and their story.   We spoke with James Williams,

How a Start-Up Distillery Generated Six-Figures in Sales During the Pandemic In a year when growth in the beverage alcohol industry seems tenuous, craft distillery Kozuba & Sons found a path to massive expansion. Operating out of sunny St. Petersburg, on Florida’s gulf coast, this family business crafts traditional Polish spirits: vodkas, whiskey and cordials. And while other small-batch distilleries were hedging their bets, Kozuba & Sons saw an opportunity. In June of 2020, they chose to completely overhaul their approach to the market. It paid off. In a little over two months, this family-owned distillery has sold $180,000 in products and has secured almost 80 new accounts. They are now in the process of presenting to major chain stores and have goals to reach 10,000 cases over the next several months. Figures and projections like that might sound like magic or luck (or a combination of the two), but if you ask the Kozubas, they’ll tell you it was just smart bu

New partnership helps small wine and spirits brands secure chain visibility San Jose, CA, January 29, 2020 — Wholesale alcohol distributor, LibDib, and leading retail placement professionals, Edge Beverage Consulting, today announced a partnership that allows emerging wine and spirits brands to more easily secure placements in large and regional chain stores. As part of the partnership LibDib Makers now have the opportunity to present their products to chain stores via Edge’s consulting services. “When LibDib launched we didn’t expect chain placements would be a big part of our business. But like the industry at large, things evolve,” said Cheryl Durzy, Founder & CEO of LibDib. “Changing consumer habits have brought chain stores into play as consumers seek local, small production products. Our new service with Edge adapts our model to bring offerings to a different type of buyer.” LibDib and Edge Beverage will work together to consider products for chain placements based on what

The new case packer was designed specifically for the US market and can alternate between high-use re-shipper cases and cases formed by a case erector machine. The machine is easy to use and can change format operations quickly. The picking head is able to self-adjust based on the format you need, and the flap control system can easily adjust and can accommodate both 6 and 12 packs with automatic change format from the machine touch screen. Alberto Migliardi, CEO of MASPACK Packaging USA, notes that, “The case packer is ideal for wineries and co-packers offering high productivity and ROI while saving labor costs via automation. Automation within the industry will be growing over the next few years.” Alberto predicts, “This machine is just one example of how automation can help our customers maintain their competitive edge and reduce time-to-market. We are very focused on wine and spirits, and we aim to always deliver the best machinery for our customer’s needs