The success story
Established in 1985 with just five members of staff and a handful of brands, the Company has grown steadily and today, part of the Heineken group, has more than 50 members of staff and an extensive portfolio of wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks which they supply across the island of Ireland.
The directors of United Wine Merchants attribute their success to the Companyʼs dedicated team of staff who make their priority “To provide the highest standard of customer service, delivery and range of quality products to the licensed trade in Ireland.” And with 2009 being their most successful year despite the economic downturn this ethos is obviously working!
“Over the last 25 years we have grown a loyal customer base of almost 1,000 across the island of Ireland. Customers are loyal not only because we are able to provide them with a ʻone‑stop‑shopʼ, total solution of key brands but also because we go that extra mile in terms of service,” said Managing Director Martin McAuley. As well as this, in an increasingly automated world United Wine Merchants values and promotes face‑to‑face customer contact with clients. “The licensed trade is a people business and we have a growing team who are out in the field every day meeting with customers, listening to what they want, advising them and ensuring that United Wines exceeds their expectations,” continued Martin. “I am confident that our concentration on this element of our business is what gives us the edge. We take great pride in the service we provide; with each customer relationship manager having a dedicated area to cover we are able to provide the key customer service that is vital in todayʼs competitive environment.”
The brands
Key agency agreements allow the company to service the licensed trade with top class brands such as: Bollinger Champagne; the best wines from both the Old and New Worlds including McGuigans, Wolf Blass, Nederburg, Santiano, Marques de Caceres and Guigal; Quality spirits including Red Square and Kulov Vodka, Coldstream Gin and Sidekick shooters; and ciders and beers such as Crabbies and Heineken Draught.
The celebrations
United Wine Merchants is planning a year long celebration, firstly they are keen to reward all their loyal customers for contributing to the companyʼs success during the last 25 years. To this end United Wines is introducing monthly special customer promotions and will also be coordinating a special customer and supplier trade show in the autumn. United Wine Merchants has a great staff and also want to recognise their hard work, so will be hosting a series of fun events for employees. Finally the company also want to mark the occasion by giving something back to the community and have appointed a nominated charity, Marie Curie Cancer Care, which they will be supporting through a number of fund‑raising initiatives, the first of which involved 25 staff members competing in the Belfast marathon recently.
“The Management Team” United Wine Merchants 31
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