Ohio Spirits 2018 Q2 - 6

AT A GLANCE

with Superintendent Canepa
Superintendent James Canepa looks back on his first year at the Division with an expression
of gratitude toward the many spirits-related associations that have helped advance the overall
enterprise.

t's been a year since I started
with the Division of Liquor
Control, and through all of
our changes and new initiatives, I've found the partnerships
we have forged with industry associations are critical. They've provided
me and my team with constructive
feedback on what we can do to
enhance the Liquor Enterprise in
Ohio and have been an ally when
we're launching our new, innovative
programs. At the end of the day, we
both want the same thing; to keep
Ohio in the forefront of the industry. Without all of us on board, it
wouldn't be as successful.
I am the first to admit I am
not a veteran of the spiritous
industry; rather, I have spent my
career working to problem-solve
and manage complex inititatives.
I brought that experience with me
to the division and, since day one,
I've worked to foster relationships
with these associations and find
out what we can do to help their
members. Here at the division, we

OHIO SPIRITS

know that while we're the regulatory
body for the spirituous industry,
we're also here to help businesses
succeed, not impede them.
Two instances come from the
Ohio Distillers Guild and the Ohio
Grocers Association. We have
worked with both groups and make
an effort to attend their meetings,
so we can hear firsthand the members' needs. We've set up quarterly
Liquor Forums with the Grocers
Association to discuss everything from the days and times our
Contract Liquor Agencies receive
deliveries to ways to enhance our
outreach with their members. We
also meet with members of the
Distillers Guild to provide them an
update on division activities, as well
as gather ways to continue helping
them conduct business.
We've also worked with the Ohio
Spirits Association and its members
on new initiatives to enhance our
liquor stores. Many members of
this community work for companies with a footprint in other states,

WHAT THE
ASSOCIATIONS
ARE SAYING:
GREAT STRIDES IN PARTNERSHIP
"For a long time, OGA and our agency members
have wanted and worked toward a partnership
relationship with the Division of Liquor Control.
We have always felt that as the final step
between the state and Ohio's consumers, we
play an important role in the state's liquor
business and because of that, our voice matters.
Now, under Superintendent Canepa, we finally
feel like we are making great strides in that
partnership. OGA appreciates the openness and
accessibility our members now have to the
division and Superintendent Canepa, and
recognize that our concerns are now heard, and
when possible, the division works toward
solutions and improvements."
Kristin Mullins,
President/CEO, Ohio Grocers
Association

OPEN COMMUNICATION
" Our partnership with the Division of Liquor
Control has been invaluable to the members of
the Ohio Spirits Association. We're at a place
where we can address our ideas and any issues
with the division's leadership and they listen. Our
members brought to them several ideas including
shelf prices that are calculated in the same way
as other products, 50 ml bottle sales which was a
proven success in other states, and hundreds of
hours of consultation on inventory-tracking

Ohio Spirits 2018 Q2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ohio Spirits 2018 Q2