Remarks by Mark Doll, NBWA Chairman of the Board

摘要

I am honored to be standing before you today as your incoming Chairman of the Board. This is your organization and I look forward to serving you as we head into 2004. I would like to thank my friend and the past Chairman, Chris Caffey for his leadership and commitment to this organization. I would also like to recognize my brothers and sister, who are my business partners, for their support. Together, we run the business that my mother and father created nearly four decades ago. And, of course, I would like to thank my wife, Julia, for her support and encouragement. Without it, I could not take on this task. The National Beer Wholesalers Association, founded in 1938, has become a powerful voice in Washington through its strong organization, extraordinary fund raising and active grassroots membership. As I look at the 65-year history of this organization, I admire the foresight and sacrifices of the men and women of our industry which have made NBWA one of the leading trade associations in America today. We are the benefactors of their commitment. I pledge to do my best to help this Association grow even stronger in the year ahead and better serve beer wholesalers from across the nation. Ladies and gentlemen, now many of you have completed your business plans for 2004 and beyond? You can rest assured that NBWA has. Your board of directors has recently completed its strategic plan for the next three years. The board studied how far the association has come and what challenges it will face in the future. That, along with feedback provided from our members through a comprehensive member survey, helped to craft a strategic plan that will guide NBWA into the future. While our industry faces many challenges, NBWA is prepared to address them head on. One of those challenges, as you heard David Rehr talk about yesterday, is the threat to the three-tier system of distribution. Let's look at two recent examples of this threat. At the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators Annual Conference, Attorney Richard Blau asked: "Does the three-tier system remain viable when 24 states have legislated some form of direct shipping exception?" At the same conference, a wholesale club executive told regulators that retailers should be allowed to at least explore the potential of direct shipping from suppliers to make the three-tier system more "efficient."