2019 BEST PRACTICES AWARDS

year alone from all over the northeast ,” Mollica says . “ Based on that success , NHLC plans to continue to increase the volume of these tasting dinners throughout the state during both of these signature weeks .”

So what does NHLC attribute to the significant success of both Wine Week and Distiller ’ s Week ? NHLC affords the unique opportunity for consumers to have direct , meaningful interactions with winemakers , distillers and producers .

“ You don ’ t have to travel to an exotic destination or spend a fortune to obtain the access we provide ,” Mollica says . “ Consumers flock to our events , which regularly sell-out . Producers also value the opportunity to establish personal connections and make lifelong relationships with consumers .”

For the upcoming Wine Week and Distiller ’ s Week , NHLC plans on making slight modifications to provide an even-more rewarding experiencing for consumers and vendors alike .

New Hampshire Wine Week features an annual Cellar Notes educational panel and tasting for up to 150 people that has focused on topics such as “ Women of Wine ” featuring Gina Gallo of Gallo Wines , Laura Catena of Catena Wines , Cristina Mariani-May of Castello Banfi and others . NHLC has incorporated that model for Distiller ’ s Week and held a “ Whiskies of the World ” event last year . For 2019 , they will host a “ Women of Whisky & Spirits ” featuring some of the industry ’ s leading female distillers , blenders and ambassadors .

“ We also are using New Hampshire Wine Week as a model for Distiller ’ s Week and have expanded beyond our spirits expo to include more dinners and tasting events ,” Mollica says . “ The Pappy Van Winkle opportunity included is an example , and we will offer multiple dinners , seminars and tasting events in 2019 .” •

The agreement was signed in December 2018 , with operations beginning the following April . Ruan now services more than 1,600 private retailers across Iowa and manages 2,300 SKUs . Since the transition began , routes have been adjusted to increase efficiency and productivity , and the IABD is currently tracking analytics to evaluate specific aspects of success resulting from the partnership .

The decision to issue the RFP was the culmination of planning that began in 2012 to improve distribution operations . “ We grew to nearly 1,200 distribution points in 2012 and we knew that number was going to continue growing ,” says Administrator Stephen Larson . “ We had to plan for the future to ensure we could continue providing high-quality service to our customers and meet obligations to the state ’ s general fund .”

Since the transition to Ruan , both suppliers and retailers have seen improvements . Suppliers were previously assigned receiving appointments under the ABD , but now can choose times that works best for them . Ruan was able to accommodate an unplanned influx of 140 new retailers during the first six months of the partnership , and provides retailers with extra deliveries upon request to ensure adequate inventories for special events and holidays .

“ Our core function is governing the alcoholic beverages marketplace in Iowa through licensing , regulation and category management ,” Larson says . “ This partnership allows us to focus on that , and allows Ruan to do what they do best , which is transportation management and value-added warehousing .”

More than 90 % of the ABD warehouse handlers and driers were transitioned to Ruan , and the majority have been retained under the new partnership . “ ABD and Ruan ’ s public-private partnership was a seamless transition because of

by JEREMY NEDELKA

18 StateWays | www . stateways . com | September / October 2019