Extending over half a century and lots of generations. Forty completely different spirits. Sixteen completely different international locations (and counting). That’s Preiss Imports.
A family-run firm from the beginning, there’s little question that the Preiss household are pioneers within the spirit trade. This area of interest import firm is behind among the most invigorating artisanal drinks available on the market.
Henry Preiss, CEO and founding father of Preiss Imports, fondly remembers how their household import enterprise discovered its footing. All of it started in Germany over 60 years in the past.
“My father introduced our household over from Germany to the USA in 1961. My father had a gross sales territory in Germany the place he bought meals, wines, and spirits,” explains Preiss. “He proposed to his suppliers for some sponsorship funds to assist him begin his firm within the states. With a couple of {dollars} in his pocket, some sponsorships, we packed up and immigrated.”
Preiss was nonetheless very younger, however from the start, he admired his father. “It’s laborious for me to think about how laborious it was for him to tug this off.” This admiration urged Preiss to shortly be a part of the household firm. However don’t be fooled. The proprietor’s son needed to begin on the backside. “Once I began, I used to be a supply driver,” says Preiss, “that quickly morphed right into a twin function of supply boy—salesman.”
Preiss fell in love with the world of wine and spirits, making his entrance a turning level within the trajectory of the household enterprise. “As I delivered, I noticed alternatives for my father’s manufacturers and began providing them. Quickly I used to be carrying a go well with within the van and switched from denims when delivering to a go well with for gross sales.”
Chilled chats with Preiss about Preiss Imports, rising up within the spirits biz, and bringing in his daughter, Nikki.
You’ve got a protracted and attention-grabbing backstory within the trade. Give us among the highlights.
I began full time within the enterprise with my father who owned the Erich Preiss Firm.
Once I began it was as a supply driver and that quickly morphed right into a twin function of supply boy, salesman. As I delivered, I noticed alternatives for my father’s manufacturers and began providing them. Quickly I used to be carrying a go well with within the van and switched from denims when delivering to a go well with for gross sales. I shortly was drawn into high quality wines and spirits. My father’s firm had manufacturers like Jägermeister and others together with wines which might be as we speak bought nationally.
You come from a household of oldsters concerned within the spirits trade. Inform us a bit about your loved ones within the enterprise.
My father introduced our household over from Germany to the USA in 1961 and based his firm. In Germany my father had a gross sales territory the place he bought meals, wines, and spirits. He proposed to his suppliers if they’d do some sponsorship funds to assist him begin his firm within the USA. With a couple of {dollars} in his pocket, some sponsorships, we packed up and immigrated. Laborious for me to think about how laborious it needed to have been for him to tug this off.
As a multi-generational, family-owned firm, centered on the artisanal aspect of spirits, inform us what units your manufacturers aside.
What actually units us aside is our sheer choice that our portfolio affords the commerce. We’ve got a saying “if we just like the individuals behind the model and we just like the model itself”, there could be a match for it in our portfolio. Not having buyers permits us to behave as we want and carry what we want. We’re the go-to and we’re straightforward for our distributors to do enterprise with us due to our huge collection of premium manufacturers. This makes it straightforward to construct orders with out overloading on any single model. This technique permits merchandise resembling Eau de Vie which all the time battle to discover a path to market.
What ought to bartenders learn about Preiss Imports and its manufacturers?
We’re a bartender’s dream. Our choice affords the form of manufacturers and merchandise that may set an institution aside. We all know the manufacturers which might be on each bar and ours aren’t. Creativity utilizing merchandise from the Preiss Imports portfolio of manufacturers construct a standout cocktail program.
As an organization with a number of manufacturers discovered world wide, speak to us about your manufacturers. What about your involvement with home manufacturers?
Humorous you need to ask. We’re simply getting began with including home manufacturers to our portfolio.
Inform us extra about Preiss Imports evolution and progress by the years.
The present Preiss Imports is in its tenth 12 months now. After all, we fall again on the historic of the varied Preiss Household companies that preceded the present firm. From the start of this firm Nikki and I’ve been on a world quest for manufacturers that resonate for us. That journey has taken by the final 10 years the place we now have 40 suppliers from across the USA, Mexico, Peru, UK, Eire, the EU, New Zealand and with manufacturers utilizing truthful commerce elements kind Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Bolivia and so forth.
What evokes the corporate’s tradition of dedication to the artisanal spirits phase?
What drives us the eagerness of working with our various group of suppliers. Individuals who we’re honored to share the eagerness they pour into their manufacturers.
What do you see coming down the pike for Preiss?
Exponential progress as individuals uncover that just a little of one thing is so significantly better than a variety of low high quality spirits and vermouth. We’ve got many new tasks forward of us as our portfolio continues to increase. A world of manufacturers at your fingertips.
