Field Report | Tennessee Malt Beverage Association

TMBA Field Report
Fall '09

Ross Tarver Wins TEDC Volunteer of the Year Award

The Tennessee Economic Development Council (TEDC) has recognized Ross Tarver, vice president/general manager of Tarver Distributing Co. and chairman of the Bradley/ Cleveland Industrial Development Board as the 2009 Jim Spradley Volunteer of the Year.

Ross’s tireless efforts to help locate Wacker Chemie in Bradley County and keep a division of Whirlpool Corporation in Cleveland were specific achievements noted at the awards ceremony.

The Jim Spradley Volunteer of the Year Award in Economic Development recognizes those individuals who make a substantial impact in assisting economic development organizations in their economic progress and capabilities growth.

Walt Wood, TEDC Immediate President , expressed his admiration for Tarver during the award presentation. “Ross Tarver exemplifies what we look for in a Jim Spradley Volunteer of the Year recipient. He is dedicated, passionate and tireless in his role as an economic development leader.”

Gary Farlow, president of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, said, “In my 29 years of professional life, I have never worked with a finer, more committed, more effective community volunteer leader.”

In addition to chairing the Industrial Development Board, Mr. Tarver is a member of the Chamber’s Economic Development Council.

“Ross has been a tireless volunteer since he began his involvement with the Industrial Development Board,” Mr. Farlow said. “Last year he was a key player in a project to keep Whirlpool in Bradley County. After months of work with city, county and state officials and with local company officials, we were successful in convincing Whirlpool’s corporate decision makers to relocate their Oxford, Miss., operation to Cleveland.”

That decision resulted in 500 jobs and a capital investment of $14 million and solidified Whirlpool’s long-term presence in our community.

Mr. Tarver’s most significant contribution to economic development projects in the last year was his role in the successful location of Wacker Chemie’s newest $1 billion project in Bradley County. Wacker, the second-largest polysilicon producer in the world, will build a facility to produce hyperpure polycrystalline silicon in north Bradley County. In addition to the initial $1 billion capital investment, the company will also bring 500 new high-paying jobs to the Ocoee Region.

“Ross’s involvement with the project goes back to the initial contact with the company four years ago when they first looked at Bradley County,” Mr. Farlow said. “He participated in almost every meeting with the prospective company, spanning nearly a year. He worked directly with the Chamber’s economic development staff in numerous meetings with property owners to secure options on the proposed site.”

Although Wacker decided not to locate that project in the United States, Mr. Tarver made it his mission to maintain personal contact with company officials and encourage them to consider Tennessee for future projects.

When the company decided last year to look again at locating a facility in the United States, Mr. Tarver was once more a key player in meetings with the company and in negotiations with property owners for land options. He also took time away from his business to travel with a local team to Germany to meet with company officials at their headquarters in Munich and their manufacturing facilities in Burghausen.

“Ross spent many hours with the Chamber’s economic development staff in one-on-one meetings with our County Commissioners and other local leaders to develop the community’s incentive package, as well as numerous meetings and conference calls with state and TVA officials related to the project,” Mr. Farlow said. “His leadership in the community and his personal relationships with key company officials were a major factor in our success.”

In addition to his volunteer efforts with the Industrial Development Board and the Chamber’s Economic Development Council, Mr. Tarver contributes time and finances to a variety of community organizations, including the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department, Charleston Police Department, United Way of Cleveland, Junior Achievement of Bradley and McMinn Counties, Cleveland Family YMCA, Cleveland Creative Arts Guild, Friends of the Library, Bradley County Rescue, Charleston Fire Department, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Cleveland Sports for Youth Program, and the American Heart Association.

The Jim Spradley Volunteer of the Year Award was established in 1977. Recipients of the award must be nominated by their peers and selected by a committee of past presidents of TEDC from the field of nominees. Tarver’s accomplishments were recognized at the TEDC annual fall conference held in Kingsport.

Gov. McWherter To Be Honored With Monument

The Ned R. McWherter Monument Commission recently announced the start of fundraising efforts to honor the former governor with a life-size bronze statue to be placed at the Weakley County Court-house in Dresden.

“Gov. McWherter has made a lasting impression on Weakley County and the entire state of Tennessee,” said Gov. Phil Bredesen. “It’s fitting and appropriate to honor him and his service with this monument, and I’m glad to see this effort get under way.”

The monument commission has selected renowned Tennessee artist Russ Faxon to produce the statue. Some of Faxon’s most famous works include the Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff statue produced for Opryland USA, the Korean
War Memorial at Legislative Plaza in Nashville and the Chet Atkins statue also located
in downtown Nashville.

The commission expects to dedicate the statue sometime in the spring of 2010.

“In keeping with Governor McWherter’s request that no public funds be used, the fundraising effort will be in partnership with the Tennessee FFA Foundation and in a show of support of the governor’s long-time commitment to agriculture education in Tennessee,”said commission chairman Terry J. Oliver of Gleason.

McWherter, owner of Central Distributors in Jackson and Volunteer Beer Distributing in Dresden, is a Weakley County native. He served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1966 to 1986, including seven consecutive terms as speaker of the House. Her served at Tennessee’s governor from 1987 to 1995.

The Tennessee FFA Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, so all contributions are tax-deductible. Anyone wanting to contribute to the project should visit www.nedraymonument.com or contact treasurer JimmyWestbrook at 731-364-2118.

Around The State...

Carl Koella Golf Classic
Blair Carter, Carter Dist.; Rich Foge, TMBA; TN Rep. Mike Harrison and Jeff Knight, Cherokee Dist., recently participated in the 13th Annual Carl Koella Memorial Golf Classic. The tournament supports the Tennessee Republican Caucus and the Carl Koella Memorial Scholarship at Maryville College. Members of the Tennessee Malt Beverage Association recently attended the NBWA/Brewers Joint Legislative Conference in Washington D.C.

Holston Honored for 75 Years
Congratulations to Holston Distributing for receiving a 75 Year Award from Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis. Steve Montano, Frank Wood and Stuart Wood are pictured here with other A-B distributors celebrating 75 years.

JR Hand Speaks at Beer Insights Seminar

JR Hand, president of Budweiser of Clarksville, Cookeville, et al., recently spoke at the 16th Annual Beer Insights Seminar at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. JR shared his perspective on the next generation of beer distribution executives.

Other speakers at the seminar included Yuengling president Dick Yuengling, Jr.; Nick Lake, vice president at The Nielsen Company (and speaker at the 2008 TMBA Annual Convention); Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewing; Dave Casinelli, CEO of Yuengling and Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Anheuser-Busch president Dave Peacock was also interviewed by INSIGHTS' president Benj Steinman about progress at the "new" A-B.

Wine in Grocery Stores
Study Committee Meets

The Joint House/Senate study committee on Wine in Grocery Stores met for the first time in October. The study committee discussed many of the same arguments covered during this past legislative session. The meeting was primarily an organizational meeting for the committee to begin their study. The next meeting has been scheduled for December 9th.

Joint Study Committee
on Wine in Grocery Stores

        Sen. Bill Ketron (Co-Chair)
        Rep. Curry Todd (Co-Chair)
        Sen. Mike Faulk
        Sen. Joe Haynes
        Sen. Mark Norris
        Sen. Reginald Tate
        Rep. Ulysses Jones
        Rep. Richard Montgomery
        Rep. Charles Sargent
        Rep. Harry Tindell

2009 TMBA Annual Convention
Cheers to 60 Years!

NBWA News

Jim Baker Receives National Industry Award for
Outstanding Advocacy Efforts

The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) recently announced that James Baker, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Beer Division for Tennessee Crown Distributing Co. in Chattanooga has received NBWA’s R. Kenneth Kerr Political Action Committee (PAC) Award. Named after R. Kenneth Kerr, late president of Kerr Companies in Athens, Ohio, the R. Kenneth Kerr (PAC) Award is given to an individual who goes above and beyond in his or her advocacy efforts on behalf of the beer distribution industry. The award was presented at NBWA’s 72nd Annual Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Thanks to Jim’s leadership, NBWA is able to more effectively advocate on behalf of the 95,000 hard working men and women employed by America’s beer distributors,” said NBWA 2008-2009 Chairman Phil Terry. “Jim has been essential in strengthening and growing the NBWA PAC, and we are grateful for his efforts and dedication.”

Baker began working part-time in the warehouse for Georgia Crown Distributing Company while he was still in high school and during summer breaks while in college. Upon graduating from college, he became a liquor/wine/beer salesman for Georgia Crown. In 1983, Baker was promoted to the position of Beer Sales Manager for the local area and subsequently to Corporate Vice President over beer sales for Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee for Crown Companies.

Baker served as President of the Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association (GBWA) from 2001-2002 and continues to serve as the current First Vice President of the Association. He enjoys working with the GBWA Scholarship Fund, which provides full scholarships each year to three students in University System of Georgia schools.

A former football player at the University of Georgia, Baker remains actively involved with the school and serves as a board member of the Georgia Football Letterman’s Association. He also serves on the NBWA Board of Directors.

“Jim has worked tirelessly to get more people involved in this Association and to have a voice on key issues,” said NBWA President Craig Purser. “The beer distribution industry is fortunate to have people like Jim.”

Letter From NBWA Chairman Mitch Watkins

Thanks to those of you who were able to travel from Tennessee to Las Vegas to participate in NBWA's 72nd Annual Convention and Trade Show in September which included a record number of distributors and more than 250 exhibitors. I encourage you to visit www.nbwa.org to see video and photos.

At the convention, I laid out four goals for beer distributors this year:

1) Educate your employees

Beer distributors have employees who are on the streets of our communities every day. That's why it's so important that all of us in the beer distribution industry be able to answer a few basic questions:

What does a distributor do?
Why do distributors exist?
Why does state-base alcohol regulation need to exist today?

Why not get your employees involved in the political process? I encourage you to bring an employee or two to the 2010 Legislative Conference, April 18-21, in Washington, DC.

2) Get more owners involved

If you know a distributor who is not active in your state association or in NBWA, get them engaged. We're dealing with serious challenges and legal issues that threaten the existence of state alcohol regulation and the three-tier system. To be effective, we're going to need the leverage that can only come from involved constituents.

3) Strengthen communications

NBWA is making a dedicated effort to push information directly to you on a regular basis so you can be informed. NBWA wants you to fully understand the challenges to the system and what your Association is doing. Be sure you are receiving the updated information. If not, contact NBWA directly.

4) Advance a distributor-focused agenda that serves the public interest

The first three goals set the stage for this fourth and most important goal. NBWA distributor members have reported in two separate membership surveys in 2009 that beer distributors are united in their concern about three-tier challenges and alcohol deregulation. When asked what the top public policy and industry issues are, 99% of distributor members responded "three-tier challenges/deregulation" is very important or important.

That is why NBWA is pursuing a distributor-focused agenda which involves understanding, identifying with and advocating for state-based alcohol regulation - that is in the public's interest. That is why your association is going to advocate for meaningful, purposeful policy that solidifies a state's ability to regulate alcohol.

NBWA will continue to reach out to both new and old partners in order to fight attempts to deregulate alcohol and weaken the time-tested alcohol distribution system. But most of all, NBWA needs you to be fully-educated and involved distributor members.

Thanks for all you do to advocate for this great industry and for the American system of alcohol regulations that has proven effective for more than 75 years.

Sincerely,
Mitch Watkins
NBWA Chair, 2009-2010

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© 2009 TMBA