Page 86 - IAADFS Summit 2023 Special Edition

INSIDER

Blue Caterpillar reflects on positive first year as it grows its global travel
retail business

A little over a year after starting their “We are extremely disciplined In September Blue Caterpillar added
boutique spirits distribution company, Blue to ensure every single retail partner Ireland Craft Beverages, and launched Two
Caterpillar, LLC, co-founders Michael has a portfolio proposition that caters Stacks Irish whiskey in travel retail.
Gebrael and Christoph Henkel return to individually to their pax profile. No one This February, Blue Caterpillar was
the IAADFS Summit of the Americas with wants to have products collecting dust on appointed exclusive distributor for Anora’s
a diverse wine and spirits portfolio and a the shelves and we are always looking Travel Retail Americas, including airlines,
strong desire to keep growing its business. into the data very proactively to remain cruise ships, and the Caribbean. Anora is
“We are indeed very fortunate, and nimble.” known for its key brands - Koskenkorva,
thrilled with the pacing and the progress Blue Caterpillar offers a full wholesale Nordic Lab Spirits, Larsen, and Skagerrak.
we have made since our go live in April distribution commercialization service, Blue Caterpillar also works closely
2022. Building categories is what keeps us with all the back office back bone support with the portfolio of Duty Free Global
excited, and everything we do is centered as well as all the necessary import licenses including the Sazerac brands.
around this notion,” the two well-known for liquor into the United States domestic
travel retail executives tell TMI. market. The Blue Caterpillar name
Each of the experienced Blue Based on their insights and data,
Caterpillar principals brings very different Wine and Spirits portfolio Gebrael and Henkel say the time was right
backgrounds to the table, but Gebrael Blue Caterpillar’s portfolio includes to launch Blue Caterpillar in early 2022,
(CEO) and Henkel (COO) say the diversity leading brands in multiples categories. The despite the impact that the COVID-19
has seamlessly worked together to form a company prides itself in embracing thriving pandemic was having on travel.
stronger entity. or underrepresented categories. “We were both ready, and … despite
“Despite having had very different “We are very fortunate to have the the challenges, we knew that we were at
corporate careers and cultural backgrounds trust of our Brand Partners. Every single an inflection point and as it always does,
our core beliefs are very similar. We have brand/company in our portfolio has a Travel Retail was bound to come back.”
known each other for more than 15 years, strategic role to play... This allows us to The name Blue Caterpillar was
and since day one, our friendship was stay true to our ethos of transparency and inspired, in part, from mescal, based on one
formed on transparency and great sense of long-term strategic relationships.” of its first brands, Mezcal Thesis.
intellectual respect.” Blue Caterpillar went live in 2022 “Some craft mescals would come with
Prior to starting Blue Caterpillar, with wines and spirits from Distell, the the mezcal worm in the bottle which was a
Gebrael was the President and CEO of Ron Carupano portfolio of rums, and Los symbol of craft.”
VEGA, a plant based protein powder Amantes mezcal. Since then it has added The blue comes from the “blue
brand, as well as CEO of Tea Forte, a a number of strategic brands in multiple Mondays” that every executive in the
luxury lifestyle tea, and held several global categories. corporate world has at some point in their
roles at L’Oréal, Estée Lauder and Bare In June 2022 Blue Caterpillar careers, they say.
Minerals. announced a partnership with The Water “After having been through several
Henkel began at Gebr. Heinemann Group, LLC (TWG) for the distribution of blue Mondays in our corporate lives,
working in Europe, Asia and lastly the Revanche Cognac in Global Travel Retail. we know that nourishing your mind
U.S., where he was the lead executive with positive thinking is the key to a
member of a team in 2013 bringing the transformational process that will enable
company back to North America. In 2016 you to keep evolving and transcend into a
be co-founded liquor distribution company beautiful butterfly.”
Innotri in Miami. While Blue Caterpillar is only a year
Based in Boston and Miami, where old, its founders see great things ahead as
the Blue Caterpillar office is able to service it grows.
the gateway to the region, the Americas “We are investing heavily in our IT
is currently the leading territory for Blue infrastructure to be ready to capitalize on
Caterpillar. But the executives tell TMI regulatory changes as well as enabling
they have the infrastructure to reach the our brand partners to connect directly
entire global travel retail market. with the end consumer,” they say. “In five
“We have an infrastructure that allows years we would love to see the company
us to service all our retail partners in Travel more balanced in terms of its presence
Retail. We are just in the first inning.” in the different GTR regions and as we
Blue Caterpillar says it offers are investing into that growth with new
“transparent, long lasting and strategic team members, infrastructure as well as
relationships with anyone we do business new (global) brand partnerships we feel
with.” Los Amantes at DFS’ JFK Terminal 4 confident that this is a realistic target.”

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