USA: Dahlheimer captures Coors �President�s Award�

For Minnesota residents, Memorial Day weekend is a time to hit the links and head for the lakes for the unofficial start of summer. For Dahlheimer Distributing, a full-service beer distributor that serves many restaurants, bars and liquor stores throughout the Minneapolis suburbs, it also marks the start of the �selling season,� The Monticello Times posted June 01.

Last year�s sunny summer played a significant factor in Dahlheimer�s earning Coors Brewing Company�s 2006 President�s Award. The award, given to distributors that have consistently increased their volume distribution while maintaining a high level of quality, was presented to Dahlheimer at the Coors Brewing Company National Distributor Convention in Houston March 27-29.

While Minnesota has become the second-fastest growing state for Coors sales in the country (Wisconsin is No. 1), Dahlheimer has grown right along with it. Dahlheimer was one of 20 companies nominated out of 530 distributors in the country and one of five companies chosen out of the 21-state central region. Mark VII Distributors, St. Paul, was the only other Minnesota-based company nominated.

Dahlheimer currently stocks a running tab of 170 different brands and 550 different packaging types, called stock keeping units (SKUs). Coors and Corona are Dahlheimer�s two best-selling brands.

�Our distributors play a key role in the continued success of Coors Brewing Company�they are the face of Coors and our brands, providing retailers with great programs, service and knowledge of the beer industry,� said Linda Gawne, Central Region Vice President for Coors. �Dahlheimer Distributing Company has set the gold standard not only within the Coors organization, but for the industry.�

Dahlheimer has won the Excellence Award, for the top Coors distributor in the state three times since 1998, with its latest being last year.

The President�s Award is the fourth major award Dahlheimer has received from Coors since the popular beer company introduced its product to Minnesota in 1984. Dahlheimer won a promotional Coors Light Hummer in 2004, which was presented to the company at Ford Field in Detroit for a summer sales incentive.

Dahlheimer is a traditional family business that was started by Greg�s father, Merle Dahlheimer, in 1959.

�The (President�s) award may have been won by a company named Dahlheimer Distributing, but it�s definitely the people that work here,� Luke said. �It�s a people business,� Greg added. �If you don�t have the right people, you�re not going to win anything.�