IAN ROUNSEVILLE
Co-Owner , M & R Liquors
First industry job : Working at the family store ( M & R ) Favorite drink : Wine , beer or Bourbon
Like his cousin and fellow 40 Under 40 member Kyle , Ian Rounseville is a member of the third generation of family ownership and leadership at M & R Liquors , a mainstay beverage alcohol retailer in central Connecticut . “ It was the family business for my entire life ,” Rounseville explains . “ Shortly after getting out of the Army , I worked part time while going to college . I liked the pace and structure of our retail environment , so I quickly decided to come on board full-time .”
As his roll grew , so too did his efforts to innovate the family business for the years ahead .
“ Around 2016 I set up our website and wine shipping division ,” Rounseville says . “ With a small team and no support in the beginning , I have been able to maintain this as a consistently profitable segment of our company .”
This forward vision proved invaluable when Covid-19 arrived .
“ I implemented online curbside pickup very early at the onset of the pandemic ,” he recalls . “ With shifting customer behavior and the need for contactless shopping , I conducted a thorough operational assessment , collaborated with our website hosts and created an online system that would keep our staff safe and continue serving our customers . Our curbside service quickly gained popularity during a tough time and customers continue to use it .”
To
read more about M & R Liquors , check out the July / August 2022 issue of Beverage Dynamics .
JAMAL ROBINSON
Director of Sales and Marketing , New England Brewing Co
First industry job : Hartford Distributors Sales Merchandiser Favorite drink : Beer during the day , Bourbon after dark
JEFF KRESTON
Vice President , Kreston Wine & Spirits
First industry job : Working at the family store ( Kreston ) Favorite drink : Bourbon ( Maker ’ s Mark )
In addition to serving as director of sales and marketing for the Connecticut craft beer pioneer New England Brewing Co , Jamal Robinson is president and cofounder of the Change in the Air Foundation .
This nonprofit works to diversify the beer industry through fundraising for the CT Brewers Guild ’ s African American brewers scholarships , while also creating new spaces and opportunities for the black and brown community to engage in craft beer .
Robinson hopes his work will help others overcome early obstacles he faced in his career .
“ As a young professional I originally struggled with being taken seriously and being intimidated by my peers who were all older and white ,” he says . “ I overcame it through leaning on the foundations of work ethic and valuing relationships . This is something that my mother instilled in me as a child . Then putting in the immense amount of work and effort it took to be knowledgeable and articulate enough about this industry to then parlay that into executable action and follow through .”
“ I ' ve spent most of my career as one of the only black people I know in this industry ,” he adds . “ So , to now be a part of changing that landscape and helping others be able to prosper through my efforts has been incredibly rewarding . Not only who is working in the industry but who is drinking and what the spaces that people drink in look and feel like .”
Jeff Kreston always knew he wanted to work in beverage retail at the family business founded by his great-grandfather in 1933 .
“ I really enjoyed the stories and relationships in this industry ,” he says , “ and that most brands have a similar family tradition background .”
As a business leader in Delaware and a member of the Wine & Spirits Guild , Kreston has an opportunity to learn from some of the industry ’ s best , including within the store .
“ My dad , Bob Kreston , has been a key mentor to me ,” Jeff says . “ He has a ton of industry knowledge that he learned from his dad and passed on to me . He ’ s let me try new things , taught me to take charge and valued my opinions .”
“ When I started at the business I had to earn respect , I wasn ’ t just handed the keys ,” he adds . “ I wanted to prove myself and I ’ m always working to overcome any challenge our family business needs to overcome .”
For more on Kreston Wine & Spirits , see the September / October 2016 issue of Beverage Dynamics .
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