I stopped by the company where I used to work but it wasn’t exactly the same “company” I used to work with…and it wasn’t even “where” I used to work. The funny thing was, as soon as I walked through the front door of The Superior Beverage Group‘s new facility in Lewis Center, Ohio, it felt…so familiar.
In anticipation of Christmas coming next week, I wanted to create some gift packets for some of my clients from the last two years. I planned to include a few beers in my packets and being the loyal beer salesman from my days back in the late 90’s with the Miller and Coors distributor in town, there was no way I was going with any other flavor. I had reached out to my old supervisor/mentor Mike to ask if they still offered a specific product and when he responded that they didn’t have what I was looking for, he quickly suggested something else that might work.
As we were heading into the holiday weekend, Mike invited me to come by to pick up my beer in person and check out the new place. Having worked at the old location (known as The Robins Companies back then) close to downtown Columbus from 1995-1998, let’s just say that walking into their new location was like the difference between hanging out in Bedrock with Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble and flying around Orbit City with George Jetson. The Robins Companies ran a successful business out of a 120,000 square foot facility but after their massive growth and success since becoming the Superior Beverage Group a few months after I left to begin my career in real estate, it was clear they needed a bigger, more modern facility. A little more than two years ago they upgraded to a new location that was newer and nearly triple the size. It is a beautiful facility and will allow them to continue their development as one of the market leaders when it comes to beer distribution in Central Ohio.
As my friend Mike met me at the main entrance he offered me a tour of the building. We started through the C-Suite and ran into their longtime CFO and someone I used to work with, Mike. (Yeah, they have a lot of dudes named Mike working there). We exchanged pleasantries and did a quick recap on our families since my time there and promised to meet up at the end of the tour in their new tasting room.
After passing past beautiful glass-lined offices, spacious meeting rooms, a fully equipped exercise center, and a world-class training classroom, we ran into Matt, the COO. We chatted briefly as he was headed out but I could tell right away he was a good leader and great representative of the brand. As we passed through the rest of the almost-near empty building (it was the end of the day heading into the final shopping weekend before Christmas), I saw a few familiar names on workstations and offices and even passed another familiar face – Holly in the HR Department.
Mike’s shoulders cocked back a bit as he showed me the modern-day break room which has been modeled after a typical convenience store and then we proceeded to the amazing warehouse that utilizes over 270,000 square feet including one of the largest refrigerated coolers in the Midwest. This is when Mike’s pride was transparent and the smile on his face was contagious. There were team members buzzing up and down the aisles filling orders as delivery trucks we being loaded for early morning deliveries. Imagine an Amazon-like warehouse filled with nothing but yeasty alcohol concoctions inside aluminum cans, sealed bottles, and heavy kegs. Yes…I’ll admit. I did feel a little weak in the knees.
We ran into a few more friendly faces from the “old days” (there was Mike C., Robin, and Dave) and then proceeded back to the tasting room to sample some of their latest featured products. Mike S. from the C-Suite joined us and we enjoyed some fresh, cold beers while we caught up on twenty years of life, reminiscing about many fun times, tasty products, and some great people. It was neat to remember some of the hard-working sales representatives, drivers, office crew, and warehouse people we used to work with, most who had moved on or retired. We talked about events, and products that had come and gone and even how much the city and industry
Mike and Mike also shared some cool stories about a few team members they had lost over the last twenty years. The stories, the season, and the setting made it the ideal location and opportunity to “raise a glass” in the spirit of friendship and remembrance, so that’s what we did. We all probably could have easily sat there for a few more hours, swapping stories and enjoying their products, but we all had places to go and people to see. Life might have interrupted this ad-hoc twenty-year reunion but hopefully, we’ll share “tales and ales” again soon.
Even today, two decades removed from the beer business, I still find myself extremely loyal to the products and brands I used to represent. You won’t catch me in a grocery store or carryout passing the beer coolers without turning the Miller and Coors cans or bottles until the labels are straight and looking good, and if I’m ever buying a round, you can be assured it’s something I’ve either sold or know someone who has.
So what does stopping by my old employer, touring a warehouse, and drinking a few beers have to do with real estate? Honestly, maybe nothing. After all, it was simply a visit to connect with people I know (and a chance to meet others I didn’t), follow up on old friendships and make new connections along the way, and see a place and business that made my friends very proud. I found the products and services I needed from people I trust. The fact that I got to enjoy a few cold beers (for quality control purposes only), was kind of a bonus.
In a nutshell, it was a chance for me to do what I do best; Build relationships, solve problems, and have fun.
You know…come to think of it, it sounds an awful lot like real estate.