We May Not Be in the Same Boat but We’Re All in the Same Storm
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Fall 2020 | V.110 WE MAY NOT BE IN THE SAME BOAT BUT WE’RE ALL IN THE SAME STORM Delivering Excellence Seasonals Rethinking Retail New Products Programs EVIL GENIUS BEER COMPANY | FALL SELECTIONS | TIPS FOR CLEAN TAP LINES Letter toTHE TRADE In my entire career, I have never seen anything quite like this. In This The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted business and homelife ISSUE in ways that could never have been predicted. Since the mid- March lockdown and the subsequent attempts to return to Delivering the some semblance of normal, we have all faced challenges that were unimaginable six or seven months ago. The one silver Taste of Excellence ...............1 lining for companies like Origlio Beverage and off-premise retailers is the increased demand for local and national trusted Cover Story .........................2 beer brands (Sadly, there has not been a silver lining for full- service restaurants and bars. It is for this reason that this edition’s cover story is Feature ...............................4 dedicated to that channel). But what good is increased demand if you can’t get the product on the floor? And so, I feel as though an apology is in order. Brewer Highlight .................6 We strive to be a best-in-class supplier to each of you, but lately our Big Top Beverage ................8 performance has not been up to par. Some of the hurdles my company has had to face are beyond our control, while others are not. Some suppliers have Bistro on Bridge ..................9 not been able to ship us enough product because of government-mandated brewery closures. And when the breweries are operational, they don’t have Bookshelf ......................... 10 enough raw materials to work with. Unfortunately, I’m told that the shortage of raw materials will get worse before it gets better. Out-of-stock situations are Beer Rediscovered ............ 11 very difficult for you and it is very frustrating for us to have to cut orders to the tune of about 12,000 to 15,000 units a day. Hop Art ........................... 11 Quite frankly, what is most disturbing to me is that we have not been able to meet the full demand for products that we do have in stock. Maintaining an adequate New Products .................. 12 workforce has been challenging. COVID leave policies and the $600 CARES Act stipend supplied by the government are contributing factors. Unusually powerful New Packages ................. 14 summer storms and a necessary two-day closure to deep clean our facility due to a COVID-19 related incident, all happened in a short span of time which added to Seasonal Selections .......... 17 any delivery problems we were already contending with. In Demand ....................... 26 We are actively addressing the things we can control. As it is configured now, our warehouse is too small and inefficient to make timely, accurate deliveries. Programs ......................... 28 To improve our performance, we are building a 40,000-square-foot backstock facility which will allow us to restructure our main warehouse and lengthen our Rethinking Retail .............. 33 pick aisles. This will accomplish the following: • Reduce congestion, allowing pickers to work more quickly. Web ordering is now available to • Accommodate equipment which provides for simultaneous, 2-pallet picking. all Origlio Beverage customers. To place your beer order online, • Provide space for automated layer pickers that will result in increased head to weborders.origlio.com capacity for top-moving SKUs not sold in full pallet configurations. To receive weekly emails These initiatives will not be realized overnight, but we are working hard to get of upcoming releases from the shovel into the ground and plan for a more structured and successful Origlio Beverage, please send 2021. I will keep you informed of the developments. your email address and the Thank you for your patience as we forge ahead with these exciting and name of your account to necessary improvements. Most of all, thank you for your business during these [email protected] trying times. Be well. Be safe. Sincerely, ® Dominic Origlio Heady Times is published five times a year, courtesy President of Origlio Beverage. DeliveringTHE TASTE OF EXCELLENCE Origlio People Get The Job Done Doug Williams Chief Content Architect How long have you been with Origlio Beverage? Seven years. What positions have you held within the company? I started at Origlio as an Account Specialist before I was promoted to Corporate Communications as a Communications Associate. My current position is Chief Content Architect. What does your current job entail? My job is to create content for Origlio’s publications (Heady Times & Draught Lines online), as well as our social media platforms. I’m always writing and researching for several long-form articles, while also consistently updating our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. If you had your own talk show, who What do you like most about your job? I love to write! And I love beer, would your first three guests be, past so what could be better than reading and writing about beer every day? or present? What does it take to be a top-notch Chief Content Architect at My first three guests would probably be Origlio Beverage? You have to be on top of deadlines and stay well Frank Ocean, Joe Papp and my cat, Space informed about industry news. It also helps to be adaptable and able to Ghost – I’m not sure they’d all get along, turn out new content at a moment’s notice. but it would make for an interesting show! What do you like to do when you’re not working? I’m a playwright, so If you could be anywhere, drinking any when not at Origlio, I’m usually working on a play or going to the theatre beer, where would you be and what beer to see one. would be in your hand? I’d be on Block What emoji do you use most often? I use the fire emoji a lot. Island with a Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing. Austin Kinney Order Picker How long have you been with Origlio Beverage? Two years. What positions have you held within the company? Before I became an order picker, I loaded trucks. What does your current job entail? I ensure that all of the beer in the warehouse is fully stocked and ready to be picked and delivered to our customers. What do you like most about your job? I really enjoy the great group of guys I work with. What does it take to be a top-notch order picker at Origlio If you could be anywhere, drinking any Beverage? You need to pay close attention to detail to ensure accuracy, beer, where would you be and what have strong leadership skills and be able to work well with your team to beer would be in your hand? I’d be cliff get the job done. jumping at Peace Rock in Pottstown with What do you like to do when you’re not working? I enjoy reading, a Twisted Tea Light in hand (following the playing sports and having a few beers with friends. jump, of course). www.origlio.com HeadyTimes v.110 1 CoverSTORY Persevering During A Pandemic Doing what it takes to keep the doors open ven if you’ve never watched a single episode of the CBS television show Survivor, most likely you’re familiar with the Econcept. A group of very fit, competitive people faced with a barrage of difficult tests battle it out to be the last person standing on a deserted island. Naturally, the sole survivor wins. Minus the desert island, does this sound like your work life right now? Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like we were making progress toward vanquishing the virus. The states and cities grappling with the highest incidents of hospitalizations and deaths, California & New York City, had successfully flattened the curve. Stringent shelter-in-place “red” restrictions were eased. But it was way too soon to declare victory. Infection rates soon began climbing in other parts of the country and it wasn’t long before “green” cities turned red. To lessen the spread of the virus, many states issued strict guidelines limiting how alcoholic beverages could be sold on premise (Please see sidebar for a brief rundown of PA guidelines). The requirements of social Not to be forgotten are the local brands, distancing, the added costs of personal protective equipment (PPE) and which are as valuable as ever for craft cleaning (on top of capacity restrictions) make it nearly impossible for full- drinkers. Most importantly, local brands service bars & restaurants to keep the doors open, let alone turn a profit. appeal to younger legal age drinkers (ages The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for everyone. But for 21 to 34 years) who are the consumers most those whose livelihoods depend upon customers gathering in hyper- likely to venture into bars and restaurants. social settings – bars, restaurants, hotels, clubs and catering venues – Get Reacquainted with Your Sales Rep adapting to the needs of safety-conscious customers and ever-changing government restrictions is daunting to say the least. But there are ways Now is the perfect time to meet with to mitigate financial damage and be a survivor. your Origlio Sales Representative, who is equipped with insightful information about Simplify, Simplify, Simplify the consumer and your situation. Your sales Trying to please everyone is a costly business strategy (Be honest now, rep can do so much more than place an how many IPAs do you carry?). Even before the pandemic, customers order. Lean on your rep for their expert overwhelmed by too many choices tended to spend less.