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William Grant & Sons Global Travel Retail Director Ylva Persson: “Hans Just has shown a solid professionalism and response, combined with great character and personality. They get involved with the brands they are passionate about and take great ownership, which translates into well-executed brand activity and accountability.” |
DENMARK. William Grant & Sons Ltd has appointed Hans Just A/S – owned by the Karberg family – as its distributor, following five years of “steep” growth in travel retail liquor sales in the Nordics. The relationship will begin in some parts of the Nordic area in early 2007.
The appointment comes as William Grant & Sons “recognises a need for greater structure and potential to continue its growth and maximise opportunities in the area”, the company said.
After an intensive review, Hans Just A/S was selected as distributor for the William Grant portfolio, which includes leading Scotch whiskies Glenfiddich, The Balvenie and Grant’s plus Hendrick’s Gin and other premium spirits brands.
The selection of Hans Just makes a natural alliance, with both companies being family owned and sharing the same long-term values on premium products, William Grant & Sons said.
The Hans Just portfolio, combined with William Grant & Sons’ extensive premium selection, adds depth to the travel retail offering, strengthening the proposition for various categories and price bands.
Some of the core brands that Hans Just distributes include Jägermeister, the Campari portfolio, Grand Marnier, Tullamore Dew, Sierra Tequila, Larsen Cognac and Champagne Laurent Perrier.
Previously William Grant & Sons ran the Nordic region through Business Development Manager Tea Lindblom, based in Finland, and different distributors and customers for each of the countries.
Focus on brand building
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Hans Just A/S Owner and Managing Director Thomas Karberg: “William Grant & Sons is a company we have been watching for some time.” |
However, the relationship with Hans Just is expected to streamline logistics, increase the sales force in the market and allow William Grant & Sons to focus on strategic brand building.
Hans Just A/S has a team of employees across all the Nordic markets, and most importantly, staff who manage the “very vital” mini-cruise business (and some of the largest spirit buyers in the world) across the Nordic area.
William Grant & Sons Global Travel Retail Director Ylva Persson said: “The Nordic market operates almost like a separate business unit. Due to the monopoly markets and a relatively small on-trade, the duty free segment and travel retail business is both prominent and transparent.
“The business across the different markets can be very efficiently managed by one company, with Denmark as the entry point into the Nordic area. Hans Just A/S has shown a solid professionalism and response, combined with great character and personality. They get involved with the brands they are passionate about and take great ownership, which translates into well-executed brand activity and accountability.”
Hans Just Owner and Managing Director Thomas Karberg, a fifth-generation family member in the business, added: “William Grant & Sons is a company we have been watching for some time. Being a family-run business has its advantages; one can be patient and wait for the right portfolio to form.”
About William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons was named Distiller of the Year in 2005 and 2006. It is the first whisky distiller ever to receive the highly prestigious International Spirits Challenge Distiller of the Year accolade two years in a row.
The company is an award-winning independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still controlled by the fifth generation of his family. It distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite single malt Glenfiddich, the handcrafted range of The Balvenie single malts and the world’s fourth-largest blended Scotch Grant’s, as well as selected other spirits, including Hendrick’s Gin, recently voted the “˜World’s Best Gin’ by the Wall Street Journal and most recently Reyka vodka from Iceland’s only distillery.
MORE STORIES ON WILLIAM GRANT & SONS
William Grant & Sons strengthens teams behind key brands – 03/07/06
Persson takes top travel retail job at William Grant – 02/03/06
