Enjoying the appetizers and beer samples.
On March 24th a group of 22 members gathered to hear the story of how McQuade’s Distributing came to be a staple in the Bismarck/Mandan Community. This now 3rd generation business is currently being run by Shannon McQuade the CEO and granddaughter of the founder Sam McQuade, Sr.
Shannon has a unique perspective on the company as she has been in every position within the company at some point to learn the roles. According to Heather, the current success of McQuades can certainly be attributed to her professionalism, the company’s reputation as a whole, and their endless pursuit of quality customer service. They currently have 33 employees and 6 distribution trucks that service their territory.
Heather Nelsen gave us an exciting description of how the beer industry works, and how’s it has evolved over the years. They strictly sell beer. They have been in the craft beer market since 2010, a market in which they have an 85% market share in. That success is again attributed to their customer service and going above and beyond the call. This means taking the time to get to know the craft beer vendors, spending time with them, sampling their products, etc.
The members were given a tour of the facility where they were able to see the mammoth supply of beer and kegs McQuades has on hand (over $1,000,000 of beer). It was quite a sight to see the pallets and pallets of different varieties of beer.
Enjoying the tour of the facility.
The professional image was imminent around every corner. The floors in the warehouse are scrubbed daily. The trucks and sales vehicles are required to be clean. They have their own sign shop to ensure their products are properly marketed. Community involvement is huge for McQuade’s as well. Their most popular charity event, the annual Sam McQuade Sr./Budweiser Charity Softball Tournament has contributed more than $1,500,000 million to local charities over the years.
The network would like to thank McQuade’s Distributing for the tour, the beer samples, and the hospitality. It was truly a great event. Lastly, a special thanks to Emily Burrows and Tina Wetzel of Caffé Aroma for providing the appetizers and coordinating this great event.