Page 38 - The Summit of the Americas 2021

INSIDER

Relationships times three lead WEBB Banks to powerful new brands

and growing business

With tourism essentially shut down, ness when it comes back. While U.S. travel
WEBB Banks’ focus on the Caribbean retail is not our main focus, we still have
local markets during the coronavirus brands that are well positioned.”
pandemic has helped propel the leading In fact, travel retail accounted for
wine and spirits distribution company to a around 12% of WEBB Banks’ total sales in
stronger position than it was in a year ago, 2020. Since the company is diversified into
says WEBB Banks CEO Andy Consuegra. other markets like the Caribbean, its busi-
TMI met recently with Consuegra; ness was not impacted as much as others by
Phillip Jarrell, Vice President, Marketing & travel bans, says Consuegra.
Supplier Relationships; and Jose Castellvi “Within our Caribbean business, some on tourism are where we prospered last
at the new WEBB Banks office in Coconut islands got hurt, but we also had a lot of year. Reaffirming that base solidified our
Grove, Miami. positive local market business. We were up business there last year. And we are ready
Castellvi, who joined WEBB Banks 30% in Puerto Rico, flat in the Dominican for when the tourists do come back,” adds
earlier this year in the newly created role of Republic, and slightly up in Panama. We Jarrell.
Vice President, Travel Retail and Spirits, is also did okay in the Virgin Islands,” says
responsible for the day-to-day management Consuegra. High performing wine brands
of the company’s growing spirits portfo- Having team members present in the In a major development, WEBB
lio, as well as cultivating and maintaining local markets is a core aspect of WEBB Banks had taken on the Constellation
relationships with duty free partners. Banks, and one that gave it a distinct ad- Brands portfolio last March, just as
“We took on new brands and we vantage during 2020. COVID-19 shut down the world. Constella
added more people. Contrary to the indus- “The strategy of the company moving tion and its powerful portfolio of wines and
try trend, we’ve shown positive growth in a forward is to continue to base people not spirits had an enormous impact on WEBB
very difficult market,” says Castellvi. in Miami, but in market. That’s one of the Banks’ business over the past year, says
“Our focus still is the Caribbean, and silver linings, that we had people in market. Consuegra.
we want to grow Central America, where Nobody could travel and we had people “We started March 1, 2020 with Con-
we had substantial growth last year. We there. This is an advantage WEBB has over stellation. It was a difficult March but the
also feel that we are well positioned to some of our competitors,” says Consuegra. portfolio gave us the scale to weather the
continue growing with the cruise line busi- “Markets that are not so dependent storms. And that enabled us to hire people

Phillip Jarrell, Jose Castellvi, and
Andy Consuegra at WEBB Banks’
new office in Miami.

The Virtual Summit of the Americas Issue April 2021 38