Now
headquartered on the 15th Floor of 630 Third Ave, in New York City, Dreyfus,
Ashby was founded in London, England, well over half a century ago. The
company's founder, Swiss born Michel Dreyfus, followed an uncle into the
wine business and became an almost legendary figure in the trade.
From the outset, Dreyfus, Ashby devoted itself to dealing in superior
wines from renowned vineyards and estates. Slowly, but with unerring taste,
the new wine merchant began to acquire the right to represent one famed
property after another. For a decade and a half the company prospered,
until gathering war-clouds burst over Europe, effectively choking the
wine trade to a trickle. Invited to bring his expertise to the United
States, Michel Dreyfus transferred his operation to New York. Following
the end of World War II and with the resurgence of the wine trade on the
continent, Dreyfus, Ashby once again became a prime factor in the wine-importing
business.
Dreyfus, Ashby was purchased by a major distiller in 1957 and operated
as a separate division under the presidency of its founder, Mr. Dreyfus,
who continued to develop its quality wine business. During the 1960's
Dreyfus Ashby evolved from a regional importer-wholesaler to a national
importer selling its products to a network of wine and spirit wholesalers
throughout the country.
With the retirement of Michel Dreyfus in the mid-seventies, the company
strayed from its original philosophy, devoting some of its effort toward
mass market wines and spirits.
In 1983, the current management, new at the time, restructured Dreyfus
Ashby, redefined its objectives and reemphasized its original position
as a supplier of high quality imported wines and spirits.
Two years later, in order to assure the continuation of the company's
renascent fine wine and spirit philosophy, a key Dreyfus supplier, the
Joseph Drouhin firm, took financial control of Dreyfus Ashby. Joseph Drouhin
is a highly reputed Burgundy wine grower and négociant based in
Beaune, France, and is wholly owned and controlled by Robert Drouhin and
his immediate family.
Philosophy & Objectives
The objective of Dreyfus Ashby is to build successful sales and distribution
for a selection of complementary high quality wine and spirit products.
As the company adds to its portfolio, it is quite prepared to deal with
products meeting these criteria even though current or potential volume
may be limited. At the same time, however, it recognizes the importance
of maintaining the overall volume growth necessary to support a quality
organization and gives careful attention to the brand franchises showing
greater growth potential.The company seeks strong ties with suppliers
and customers who demonstrate inordinate aptitude and interest for the
high quality segment of the market. As the wine and spirits industry moves
rapidly toward increased concentration of volume in the hands of a few
large wholesalers whose supplies are dominated by fewer and larger international
public companies, Dreyfus maintains its quality position and its human
scale of operation. The company feels that the distribution of fine wines
is best served by those who have the specialized knowledge and the patience
and consistency to build quality products.
Organization
Wholesale Network
Dreyfus Ashby distributes its products in all fifty states through wholesalers
and state boards. The more than 100 wholesalers in the Dreyfus Ashby network
range from small family operations to giant, multi-sales force metropolitan
distributors. Where necessary, the company divides its products among
different wholesalers in the same market in order to better match product
to distributor. Dreyfus Ashby continually monitors its wholesaler network
in response to the rapidly changing wholesale environment.
Company Sales Force
The company's sales and promotional efforts are executed through five
regional directors who operate with a marked degree of autonomy. The large
geographical area and the diversity of interests and consumption habits
favor this kind of decentralized structure. Regional autonomy also fosters
stronger personal relationships with customers, stimulates individual
creativity and better permits the patient building of local brand franchises.
Each regional manager is aided by a number of Dreyfus Ashby area managers,
totaling 14 throughout the country. Their combined task is to be in close
contact with their local distributors and to also call regularly on the
best on and off-premise accounts in their markets. Dreyfus also employs
a National Accounts Director, handling all chain and large corporate accounts.U.S.
Warehouses
Although larger wholesalers frequently buy in container-lots direct from
foreign ports, Dreyfus maintains U.S. stocks of its products both as a
backup for its large customers and for regular supply to smaller customers.
The availability of local stocks is an important ingredient in the building
of small, specialized brands.
Dreyfus maintains products on both coasts in accessible high traffic areas
facilitating efficient pick-up by wholesalers. The East Coast warehouse,
in North Bergen, NJ, by the Port of New York, is in an area generally
used by wholesalers for consolidation of goods from many wine and spirits
suppliers.
On the West Coast, the Dreyfus inventory is in the air-conditioned Western
Wine Services Warehouse. From this location, merchandise is easily consolidated
with regular shipments of premium California Wine from Northern California
to wine wholesalers throughout the country.
Now
headquartered on the 15th Floor of 630 Third Ave, in New York City, Dreyfus,
Ashby was founded in London, England, well over half a century ago. The
company's founder, Swiss born Michel Dreyfus, followed an uncle into the
wine business and became an almost legendary figure in the trade.
