TEXAS CITY, TX – Del Papa Distributing Company announces the creation of a Craft & Specialty division, 2-Row Distributing, to help navigate customers through the recent craft segment explosion in their market. Having curated and developed one of the strongest portfolios of both local and national brands in their 17 county footprint, it was time to also provide the necessary expertise and category management that a craft-dedicated team could provide. “We created a separate selling force with a strong background in craft beer. These salesmen, or Pint Jockeys as we call them, will provide focus and consultation in the market place around this exciting, and continuously growing, category,” says Jeffrey Wheeler, General Manager of 2-Row Distributing. Wheeler has been with Del Papa since 2012 and previously served as a brand development manager and craft sales consultant. He has also owned a craft advocacy group called Yeast Priests consulting with distributors and retailers.
Nationally the number of craft breweries is up nearly 20% from 2012 to 2014 and Texas breweries are an important part of that growth. Craft volume for Del Papa has been trending at or near 25% over the past four years which drove the decision to create a dedicated team. In addition to national craft breweries such as Sierra Nevada, Firestone Walker, Rogue, and newly acquired Southern Tier, 2-Row will distribute some of the most awarded Texas craft breweries including Saint Arnold and Karbach, both in Houston, Pedernales in Fredericksburg, Southern Star in Conroe, and Rahr & Sons in Fort Worth. As of 2014, Texas breweries produce nearly 1M barrels of beer a year, ranking 7th in the United States. Wheeler believes that much of the craft beer industry is still untapped and 2-Row and their Pint Jockeys can help grow the segment acting as craft beer experts to both retailers and consumers through sampling events and social media.
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