LEXINGTON, KY - From now on, whenever you hear the name Kentucky Eagle, don't expect to see the word "Beer" after it. That's history. "We are moving along a process we started several years ago, morphing our company into something that looks quite different than in the past," said David Stubblefield, Vice President and General Manager for Kentucky Eagle, Inc. "Everybody knew Kentucky Eagle Beer as the Budweiser distributorship, and we still are, but we're becoming a total beverage distributorship," he said.
Kentucky Eagle is enlarging the portfolio of brands it sells to retail outlets. It's gone from being primarily a local Bud distributor to selling other craft beers and imports. It also now offers lines of non-alcoholic products like teas, fortified waters and sodas. The company recently picked up the Nesquik line from Nestle and even sells chocolate milk. "We hope to one day be a significant player in liquor, wine and non-alcoholic products," said Ann McBrayer, Kentucky Eagle's President. McBrayer's father bought the company, then known as Bennie Robinson Distributing, in 1948. In the early 1990's, the name changed to Kentucky Eagle Beer. Now the name has shrunk, but the company's mission has grown.
For retailers, it means Kentucky Eagle's expanded assortment includes beers brewed and sold by other suppliers, including local favorite Kentucky Ale, an Alltech brand. "We've picked up several craft beers like Magic Hat, Pyramid, Hook and Ladder," Stubblefield said. "We're not just the Bud guy. We're a total beverage distributorship that happens to sell the Anheuser-Busch portfolio." Stubblefield added that Anheuser-Busch is "still the mother lode for us" but by having A-B on board, the company was able to justify distributing other brands.
McBrayer is one half of a local power couple. She's married to Terry McBrayer, senior partner in the law firm of McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie & Kirkland, a former state legislator and chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party. McBrayer is pleased to take her company into new waters. "Kentucky Eagle is excited about this new division of our company. All the products in our portfolio will be of the highest quality and at a great value."
It's not as though Kentucky Eagle is entering a wide open field. Two other strong players dominate the region in distributing alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to a thirsty populace. Southern Wine and Spirits of America and Republic National Distributing Company have had strong footholds in this market for decades. SWS, founded in 1968, operates across 29 states, including its original Florida market, with corporate headquarters in Miami. Pete McLaughlin, General Sales Manager for Southern Wine and Spirits in Louisville, questions Kentucky Eagle's strategy to introduce new brands to the market. "Budweiser, in the past, has tried selling wine. Gallo Wine has tried selling spirits. There's not been a major success in the past," said McLaughlin. "Most of us stick to our mainstream product lines. Eagle has become a competitor. We don't sell beer in Kentucky but now they're getting into our business. They're going to dabble in this side of the business but I don't think we'll see a big impact from it."
Republic National is no slouch either. Its roots in distribution go back more than a century. It has wholly-owned or joint-venture operations in Kentucky, 16 other states, plus the District of Columbia. Both companies pride themselves on customer service, marketing and sales staff training.
Into the fray comes Kentucky Eagle, tiny by comparison. But competition is nothing new to McBrayer. "Some liquor distributors dabbled in the craft side of our industry for a long time. Our employees are having fun in our new venture because they love new challenges and our customers like the nice quality products we bring them at competitive prices," she said. "I believe our biggest asset is service because of our beer portfolio," McBrayer added. "We have high frequency of deliveries for our accounts and that's important to our customers."
Stubblefield sees two advantages to Kentucky Eagle over Southern Wine and Spirits and Republic National. One is the opportunity for small craft beers to break in when they couldn't before. "Big distributorships didn't have room for them. When people heard the door was open and we were willing to take on additional products, we had people coming to us night and day about distributing their products," said Stubblefield, who insists Kentucky Eagle is careful about who it picks up. "We want to be sure any new product fills a niche in the market."
Another reason to choose Kentucky Eagle, according to Stubblefield, is convenience. "Our trucks are already going to these accounts, so it's simple to step up the frequency and service we're already known for."
For McBrayer and Stubblefield, moving Kentucky Eagle into a bigger distributorship mode was an opportunity the company had to take, a "no brainer," in their words. "This was the logical next step to utilize the infrastructure we've spent 61 years developing," Stubblefield said.
And speaking of structure, Kentucky Eagle has taken up residence in its new facility on Innovation Drive off Georgetown Road, the first LEED-certified distributorship in the nation, according to McBrayer.