Beer is just one of the many products that Mississippi Distributors, Inc. handles, although it constitutes 98 percent of sales. In addition to its Anheuser-Busch InBev beer products, the Batesville, Miss.-based distributor also carries products from Nestlé (Nesquik, Juicy Juice, Coffee Mate), Crown (Corona brands), Red Bull, Sqwincher and Dad’s Root Beer, and plans to expand into food in the next five years. Beverage World spoke with Mississippi Distributors’ president Fred Nosef Sr. about its operations and its green initiatives.

Beverage World: How do you manage your portfolio?
Fred Nosef Sr.: We have a separate NA (non-alcohol) division and brand manager. Our office support staff produces monthly reports by brand. These reports analyze depletions, distribution, shelf space, displays, cold boxes, POS (point-of-sale) and our service, which is goal- and objective-driven.

BW: What are the differences and similarities between these disparate areas of business?
FN: The main difference is where and to whom we can sell our NA brands. It has opened so many doors and has provided us an unlimited customer base. We are now delivering to vending companies, schools, retirement homes and day care centers. They are alike in how they conduct business and how we communicate with each other. Many of the NA representatives came from the beer industry and that is a real bonus. Beer is a little easier to do business in because [customers] come to me since I’ve got a dominant brand.

BW: Why are you adding food to the portfolio?
FN: Food is part of our five-year plan and we have adopted a philosophy: Simply, brands that are healthy, quality products and complement the liquid products we sell. We have to make sure the retailer always knows us as a beer company first, but there are obvious advantages in the community, as they will know us as a food and beverage company.

BW: Tell us about your green initiatives.
FN: We converted our casino accounts (13 percent of business) from glass bottles to aluminum, which we can recycle in our own recycling plant. We also have golf courses, parks and many other customers joining in. We added a second aluminum recycling center last year and are currently renovating a warehouse into a paper recycling center. Also, we sold our aging LP (gas-operated) lifts and instead are leasing electric forklifts.

From Beverage World December 15, 2009