In less than a year, Ennoble Beverages has developed and rolled out in 15 states the first FMB Bloody Mary, packaged in a 16.9 ounce can.
The goal, Wes Lewis, ceo, told Kane’s Beverage News Daily, is to be nationwide by the third quarter of 2019. But that’s not all: Ennoble is developing Bloody Caesars in Canada. “They prefer Bloody Caesars to Bloody Marys,” he explained. And in the third quarter Ennoble will launch Fridays Cocktails under license from TGIFriday’s. Fridays Cocktails will also be an FMB.
Lewis was born in Kinsley, Kans., part of an Air Force family, which meant he went to 13 different schools before college. That may explain why he functions well in an entrepreneurial start-up environment.
His first job in the beverage industry was with the former Meyers Distributing, Seattle, then on to Mark Anthony Brands in Seattle, where he held several executive jobs. In March 2017 – just a little more than a year ago – he joins Ennoble Beverages. Three months later he was CEO.
“We developed our own brand, Tipsy Tomato Bloody Marys,” he said. It’s now available in three flavors. The Fridays Cocktails will launch with Long Island Iced Tea. “TGIFridays sort of invented Long Island Iced Tea,” he says.
Working at a startup is very exciting, he adds. “Our mission statement is about designing, implementing and presenting the finest FMB products you can find. People are always looking for that new flavor.”
When consumers sample the product, they like it, Lewis says. “Our conversion rate is 30-35%, which is good. People are amazed it tastes just like a Bloody Mary,” he says, adding: “They love that you can get it in the beer aisle. We’re giving beer distributors ammunition to bring those people back.”
Lewis describes Tipsy Tomato as fun. “The name is fun, the packaging is fun. We think we have the ability to extend the brand beyond Bloody Marys, for example, to a Chilada.”
Lewis’s aggressive growth plans require a good distributor network. We wondered what he’s looking for in distributors.
“We’re trying to align with the best distributors who have strong relationships with the convenience channel,” he told us. The 16.9 ounce can sells well in C-stores, he said. But, “we’re also bringing out cans for the grocery market, in a four-pack configurations. Because it’s an FMB, the excise tax is much less,” and that means the pricing can be competitive in a grocery environment.
Creating a Culture
Building a company requires hiring great people. “We’re being very careful in hiring,” Lewis told us. “We have really great people on the staff today. It’s fun to create a culture for a company so people really enjoy working and having great products that people enjoy representing.”
Tipsy Tomato was initially sold in the Upper Midwest, then over to the Northeast, down the East Coast and then moving west to the Midwest and Western U.S. “We’re just now bringing folks on in Tennessee, where we’ll be distributing this fall. As we slowly move to the central part of the U.S. and the West, we’ll be adding people.”
A key to success is to have a strong corporate culture. We wondered how Lewis planned to achieve that. “We’re treating people by the Golden Rule, as we would like to be treated. We want clear, open dialogue and communication, letting people be part of our success. As we plan things out – 12 to 18 months in advance – everybody will have plenty of planning time. My job as CEO is to remove obstacles so they can be successful. I can’t be successful if they aren’t successful,” Lewis said.
Hiring Right
“We want people who like to wear lots of hats, be self-motivated, forward thinking. You can’t build silos in a startup.” Lewis is looking for “really hardworking people who enjoy getting out, seeing things others may not see.”
Lewis is also looking for analytical people who can provide data to the field so sales people can make great presentations.
Building a great corporate culture begins with the hiring process. “In interviewing candidates, my style is to spend an hour with somebody. I let them interview me, they learn about the company, and I learn so much about a person that day.”
But culture building really gets underway with an employee’s first day on the job. For new Ennoble staffers, the first day is devoted to meeting the people they will interact with, getting a full understanding o the products, our strap plan for the next five years and the mission statement in which they will perform.
Don’t Hire From Desperation
One key lesson Lewis has learned is to not hire out of desperation. “So many companies hire someone because there’s a need to fill a spot.” He cited the current shortage of truck drivers. “Many people are hiring people who aren’t able to be great truck drivers,” he said.
It’s important – especially in a startup – to hire people who can step into a position who will be ready for a new position in a year or two. “I want to surround myself with people who are smarter than me, because I can learn from them.’
It takes a special person to work at a startup, Lewis said. “I’m looking for people who are excited to get up every day, embrace what they are trying to do. Who can be self-motivated. Who understand that we’re going to make mistakes. I want people who are great troubleshooters, who are visionary, who challenge themselves.”
Why Beer Has Suffered
The talk turned to the long decline in beer sales. “Beer distributors have suffered because beer hasn’t challenged itself,” he said. Big beer keeps on pumping out the same products, Lewis said, while the “craft guys are limited in what they can do.
“With FMBs, you can make any cocktail product you want. Tomato-based products aren’t easy and require a slower process than beer.”
The ABV in Tipsy Tomato is 5.5%. There’s no beer taste, the executive said, explaining that the neutral malt base is “really clean. It looks just like vodka. All the beer notes you taste and smell are gone. What that offers is the ability to add flavors.”
Startups aren’t flush with cash, so marketing currently is focused on social media, public relations and bloggers. “We’re looking to do a lot of sponsorships to get the name out there. We’re going to target the airline and cruise industries. We think airlines are no brainers – there are an awful lot of Blood Marys served on airplanes.”
We’ll post the interview within 24 hours at www.beveragebarons.com.