NORTH CAROLINA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL
North Carolina ABC :
Business-Like Modernization
Like all control states — and pretty much all industries everywhere — the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control ( NC ABC ) Commission has faced a wide range of challenges during the past several years . In addition to the difficulties posed by the Covid-19 pandemic , the Commission also faced a leadership transition when its former Chairman stepped down from the role .
Enter : Hank Bauer , who was appointed as NC ABC Commission Chairman in December 2021 by Governor Roy Cooper .
With a business background in alcohol wholesaling , Bauer ’ s previous experience includes leadership roles at Empire Distributors , Boston Beer Company and Blue Ridge Beverage . He had retired earlier in 2021 and was looking forward to playing a lot of golf , but when he learned of the opportunity with the NC ABC Commission , he decided to throw his hat into the ring .
Now , just a little over a year after assuming the role , Bauer has made incredible progress in the areas of product acquisition and distribution , among others . He credits much of his success to focusing on running the Commission like a business , and improving services across the board .
But Bauer will be the first person to tell you that much work remains to be done .
16 StateWays | www . stateways . com | Spring 2023