Wirtz Beverage Group Announces Strategic Alignment

Business Wire, April 7, 2008

State affiliates centralize operations and implement shared vision

CHICAGO -- Citing vision and growth, W. Rockwell Wirtz, Chairman of the Chicago-based Wirtz Corporation, announced today that the company's national portfolio of wine, spirit and beer distributorships would be united under a new organizational operation of the Wirtz Beverage Group (WBG). Last month, Wirtz Beverage announced a deal with Glazer's Distributors of Texas to form the largest wholesale distributor in Illinois.

"This move is more than symbolic. It is about taking our team members, the industry's best and most innovative, and providing them with the technology, infrastructure and support to continue onward and upward" explained Mr. Wirtz. "Our future vision is to achieve industry leading growth, and we intend to establish total organizational alignment to deliver on this promise."

Companies under the new structure include Judge & Dolph and Callison Distributing of Illinois; Hawkeye Wine & Spirits of Iowa; Griggs, Cooper & Co. and Mark VII of Minnesota; DeLuca Liquor & Wine, Coors of Las Vegas, and Silver State Liquor & Wine of Nevada; and Edison Liquor Corporation of Wisconsin.

The new operation will be led by Mr. Wirtz and include an executive committee to manage the strategic direction of the Wirtz Beverage Group entities. Each distribution affiliate will report to a state general manager who will oversee state operations under for example, Wirtz Beverage Nevada. These general managers will comprise the Wirtz Beverage Group operating committee to manage the short-term cross function issues and the coordination of all human resources, finance, IT, sales and marketing and operations functions of the state distribution affiliates.

"This centralized approach will be rolled out in each of our operating markets over the coming months and will dramatically improve our route to market efficiency," explained Wirtz. "By driving more support to the company's existing national operations, we will be strongly positioned to take advantage of future strategic partnerships with compatible entities."

Wirtz Beverage Group is one of the leading alcohol beverage distributors in the country with interests in wine, spirits and beer wholesalers. The company has set an aggressive strategic path to being the leading premium total beverage alcohol wholesaler by 2012.

"Our history and experience gives us a solid foundation from which to start; but we are now dramatically changing the way Wirtz Beverage Group does business," explained Mr. Wirtz. "We aim to be the national total beverage alcohol wholesaler of choice in all of our operating markets and we believe implementing a shared vision for strategic innovation and growth is the first of many steps that will help us reach that goal."

Wirtz noted that additional announcements, including corporate leadership, operational efficiencies and strategic partnerships will be forthcoming.

Wirtz Beverage Group has more than 3,000 employees and approximately $1.5 billion in revenues and will be headquartered in Chicago alongside its parent company, Wirtz Corporation. According to industry newsletter IMPACT, Wirtz Beverage holdings ranked sixth among U.S. spirits and wine distributors in 2007.