Advertisement

Header Utility Menu

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Events

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

  • Login

Virginia Business

Mobile Menu

  • Issues
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Advertisement

Header Primary Menu

  • Issues
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • Issues Archive
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Home News No tears in their beer

No tears in their beer

Chesbay Distributing offers employees activities and opportunities

Published February 1, 2018 by Joan Tupponce

Patrick Collins is president of Chesbay Distributing

Chesbay Distributing’s business is beer. That is apparent in one of the company’s employee events, a craft-beer competition.

In addition to brewing beer, teams from company departments develop marketing plans and labeling systems. “Then they are judged and a trophy is awarded to the winner,” says Kathrine Wylie, the company’s marketing manager.  “All of our departments are represented [in the contest]. It’s turning into something fun.”

The contest is just one way that the Chesapeake-based wholesale beer distributor connects with its employees and maintains morale.

Chesbay officials say the company appeals to jobseekers because of the opportunities it offers.

“In the last year or so we have attracted a lot of employees from competitors,” says Jerry Fortner, Chesbay’s director of human resources. “We are known in the area as having the strongest compensation package and raises for sales, delivery and warehouse employees [among] beverage distribution companies.”

Delivery drivers are paid in the upper $50,000 range while merchandisers and warehouse workers make $16 an hour.

Chesbay traces its roots to Norfolk Beverage, which was founded in the mid-1980s. The name was changed in 2000 to reflect the company’s growing footprint. “We felt like Norfolk Beverage was too narrow,” Fortner says.

The company’s territory grew outside the Chesapeake area three years ago when it acquired Kozak Beverages, a Miller beer distributor based in Petersburg. Chesbay’s  territory now stretches north to Petersburg, west to Amelia County and south to North Carolina.

The company distributed Miller beer until 1999 when it added a Coors portfolio. In 2012 it joined Reyes Holdings, a family-owned conglomerate of beer distributors representing import, craft and domestic beers.

Today, Chesbay distributes around 35 beers, ranging from Miller to Virginia craft beers such as Hardywood, Ardent and Lickinghole Creek.

The company sells  just over 7 million cases of beer a year. “Beer is a good business to be in because it’s pretty much recession proof,” Fortner says.

The company now has around 170 employees. None is pigeonholed in one job or one segment of the business, Fortner says. Employees can move from one department to another during their careers. “We work hard on employee engagement,” Fortner says. “We want people to develop and grow as promotions become available.”

The company’s management, including company President Patrick Collins, maintains an open-door policy in listening to employees’ concerns. “We have a hotline number that employees can call if they feel an issue has not been addressed properly,” Fortner says.

Chesbay organizes a variety of employee activities such as Family Fun Day. The event includes carnival rides, music, food, a beer garden and door prizes. “Last year we topped out at about 450 people,” says Wylie.

In addition, the company holds an annual awards banquet to recognize top performers in each department, awarding them $1,000 each.

In 2013 Chesbay started its “Hunger Action Month Initiative” during which it conducts a food drive at its warehouse to support the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia. “Every department gets involved, and this year we competed internally, our sales department versus our operations department. We were able to collect and donate 5,205 pounds of food and necessities,” Wylie says. “This is double what we collected in 2016.”

Chesbay is always looking for ways to retain employees, company officials say. “Warehouse, merchandising and delivery jobs are tough, physical jobs,” Fortner says, noting that a yearly attrition rate of 15 percent is typical in the industry.  “We think we have done a good job of hedging our turnover.” 

Related Stories

No related posts.

Trending

Norfolk’s MacArthur Center mall listed for sale

Making strides

It’s back!

After the crisis

Fort Monroe development moving forward

Sponsored Stories

What Logistics issues will have the biggest impact on you in 2023?

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

Norfolk’s MacArthur Center mall listed for sale

Making strides

It’s back!

After the crisis

Fort Monroe development moving forward

Sponsored Stories

What Logistics issues will have the biggest impact on you in 2023?

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Get Virginia Business directly on your tablet or in your mailbox!

Subscribe to Virginia Business

Advertisement

Advertisement

Footer Primary Menu

  • virginiabusiness.com
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Footer Secondary Menu

  • Industries
  • Regions
  • Reports
  • Company News
  • Events

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign Up

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Footer Utility Menu

Copyright © 2023 Virginia Business. All rights reserved.

Site Maintained by TechArk