Despite having a smaller slice of the overall retail pie, private label alcohol brands are now outperforming the market, a trend that spells nothing but success for Mira Loma, Calif.-based LeVecke Corp. Look on the shelves of national retails chains like Safeway, Kroger or Sam’s Club and if there’s a high-quality store brand vodka or spiced rum to rival Smirnoff or Captain Morgan, chances are the folks at LeVecke Corp. developed it.

Founded in 1949 by William LeVecke and his sons Reed and Neil LeVecke, the company remains an independent, family-owned operation. Sixty years ago, LeVecke got his start as a beer distributor in Southern California. The Von der Ahe family, which owns the Vons grocery chain, approached the LeVeckes about producing private label vodka.
“They thought the opportunity in spirits was greater than beer, so that’s how LeVecke got into the corporate brand and private label spirits business,” says Steve Vento, vice president of marketing.

Today, with third generation Neil LeVecke running operations as president, LeVecke’s annual sales exceed $100 million and it produces more than 2,500 beverage alcohol products. A multi-faceted company, LeVecke is a wholesale distributor of spirits and wine products and rectifier and bottler of distilled spirits. The company now supplies private label alcohol brands to nearly all of the major retail chain stores coast to coast and in all 50 states. With a spirits bottling facility and a cocktail mix facility both in Mira Loma, the company is looking to expand its operations and plans to open a new spirits bottling facility in Londonderry, N.H. later this summer to target the Northeast market, Vento says.

In a challenging economy, lower prices for private label and corporate brand spirits products have obviously helped spur sales, however, Vento points out that the quality of store brand spirits now matches that of national brands.

“We do a vodka brand for Safeway called Vitali. If you see it on the shelf next to Gordon’s or Popov, to a consumer it looks like a national brand product. We work with the retailer on upscale package design and we even do customized bottles,” Vento says. “So while the initial purchase decision might be based on price, once the consumer tries it, they’ll say ‘this is a great product so why should I spend more?’ So we get a lot of repeat business based on the quality.”

Besides major retail chains, LeVecke also works with spirits and wine retailers like Beverages and More, ABC Fine Wine and Spirits and Total Wine & More. As a corporate brand bottler, LeVecke creates products at every price tier.

The company also is doing a robust business with its own spirits brands. Through its Hawaii-based Pau Maui Trading Co., LeVecke introduced an ultra premium vodka called Pau Maui Vodka. “The LeVeckes are very proud of this brand. It’s a vodka distilled in Maui from pineapples. It’s hand crafted in small batches and each bottle is numbered,” Vento says.

LeVecke also produces and sells Island 808 Vodka, which is a line of triple distilled tropical-flavored vodkas. The company also produces wine-based cocktails, such as Three Birds Sweet Tea, for retailers that have wine and beer licenses, but not liquor licenses.

Constantly looking for ways to grow its business, LeVecke also has begun exporting a number of its products to international markets, including Guam and Jordan, as well as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

VITAL STATS
LEVECKE CORP.
PRESIDENT: Neil LeVecke
HEADQUARTERS: Mira Loma, Calif.
’09 SALES: $100 million
EMPLOYEES: 65
GOALS: To continue its 60-year tradition of providing integrity, quality, service and excellence to its customers.

From Beverage World June 15, 2010