Supreme Corq Receives the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Business Development Strategy Leadership Award

Business Wire, April 6, 2005

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis, U.S. Caps and Closures Market, selected Supreme Corq, LLC as the recipient of the 2005 Business Development Strategy Leadership Award for its market penetration and market share growth in the wine and distilled spirits segments of the U.S. caps and closures market. Supreme Corq was instrumental in developing and increasing the popularity of synthetic corks when the wine industry was deeply concerned about the spoiling of wine due to cork tainting.

Every year, Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in business development within the industry. The Award recognizes the company's ability to best perceive consumer needs and develop products and/or services that meet consumer needs. Through a combination of vision, technology, and successful marketing, the Award recipient has demonstrated superior market growth skills across the world.

Supreme Corq's success is due largely to their consistent high quality production methods and obsession with product quality. The company is the only synthetic cork manufacturer in the world to simultaneously hold the following quality management certifications ISO 9001:2000, British Retail Packaging Consortium (BRC), and American Institute of Baking (AIB).

Supreme Corq produces two popular sizes of corks -- 38 mm and 45 mm -- apart from its pioneering T-Top or the pull type of closures. The company also utilizes proprietary printing processes to decorate each cork as desired by their customers. The company has set up shop in both the western USA and central Europe to provide their customers world-class service.

To effectively penetrate its end-user market, Supreme Corq conducts extensive consumer surveys to determine users' attitude to various types of synthetic corks, alteration in purchase behavior due to a change in closure, and overall consumer acceptance of synthetic corks.

"Supreme Corq's manufacturing process allows the company to offer an unlimited range of colors with high definition printing," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Ravi Sankar S. "Corks can now be used as a branding/marketing/packaging enhancement for consumers."

The company has a stronghold on the consumer retail segment, which is growing faster than the institutional segment. Taking advantage of this growth opportunity, it has established a manufacturing plant in Belgium, thereby expanding its market outside of the United States.

Supreme Corq has been promoting its product by actively participating in industry trade shows, which not only helps the company market its products but also serves as a forum for obtaining customer feedback. In fact, the T-Top closure, one of the fastest growing synthetic cork products, is the outcome of one such initiative.

"For example, Supreme Corq LLC took the help of the Scotch Whisky Research Institute to show that its T-Top closures are leak-proof," notes Sankar. "This test also showed that after a six-month testing period, Supreme Corq's synthetic corks were unbreakable, dust proof, and did not discolor or alter the flavor of the distilled spirits or wine."

Since this is a developing market, it is vital that suppliers constantly keep in touch with their customers. Supreme Corq involves its customers in the development of novel closures, thereby benefiting both the closure company as well as the distilleries, which have fewer complaints about cork tainting.

Apart from partnering with customers, the enterprise also works with industry associations and institutions that have a role to play in the betterment of synthetic corks and their usage.

"Supreme Corq collaborated with Screwpull to ensure that screws and coatings of popular cork extractors were compatible with new developments in synthetic corks," observes Sankar. "These initiatives have helped the company maintain its position as a strategic supplier of premium synthetic corks in the U.S. wine market as well as garner a significant share of the world market."

About Supreme Corq

Supreme Corq is among the largest premium synthetic cork manufacturers in the world, supplying to more than 1,600 wineries across the world since its inception in 1992. The acquisition of Supreme Corq by Graham Partners, Philadelphia helped Supreme Corq increase its customer base across the world. To be able to achieve this, the company will have to depend on its global management team and its proprietary products and processes that are protected by patents from the U.S. and abroad.

Since its inception, Supreme Corq started selling synthetic corks to the wine and spirits industries, and the company has grown to become one of the leading suppliers in the world. The company, based outside Seattle, Washington, U.S., sells corks in more than 32 countries across the world and exports the majority of its products to the international market. Supreme Corq has taken advantage of the increasing demand for corks that do not taint the wine, and has enhanced its market share in the synthetic corks market.