It seems almost monthly now we are recognizing one of our co-workers for decades of service…and these last few months are no different! The hard part for me is that I grew up in the business with many of them and now they are retiring! They worked for my father and knew both my Uncle Dave and my grandfather (Big Dave as we used to call him!), and now I am the old guy in the room as they retire or celebrate big anniversaries in working with me!

With that backdrop I wanted to again wish Rick Hallquist a well-earned and healthy ‘glory years’ of retirement. Rick and I (and his “Luxco” bride Sheri…they met at Luxco!) all grew up working here together and that is a lifelong bond. Well done, Rick!

And then there is Mark Pirtle. What can I say about Mark and his dedication to both his Luxco family and his Pirtle family? Throughout his 35 years at Luxco we have been through an awful lot together…some good…and some very sad times. But we have formed a cherished bond among us, and I couldn’t be prouder to see him still here working for us after 35 years. Awesome job, Mark!

In April we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Lux Row grand opening. It’s hard to imagine a year has passed, but as you will read, a lot has been happening there and things are going very well! It has been a collaborative team effort among and across companies at Luxco and Lux Row, and ALL of you should be commended and congratulated for an incredible job well done. Melding best practices, work ethics, work culture, systems and personnel is no small task, but you accomplished it all. As we press forward at Lux Row, we will be adding three more aging warehouses over the next three years and might soon be in need of expanding the distillery capacity as well.

Our innovation and new product offerings continue to impress me as well as the entire industry (validated by the many awards you will read about)! With our partners, the Beam family, we have re-positioned the Limestone Branch portfolio and upgraded the facility to rave reviews. And with the resurgence of the RTD category, our new Salvador’s® cans are sure to be a success just to name a few.

In closing, I have just returned from Boston where I was able to hoist the Stanley Cup for our St. Louis Blues at the TD Garden! What an honor and a thrill to say the least! I am still numb and it’s hard for me to imagine all this happening, but it is real, and it did happen! ALL of you have been my best supporters (and fans!) over the past seven years since we bought the team, and I couldn’t appreciate that more! A special thanks to Janet, Sheila and Linda who have had to live with me (in our “corner”) and try to keep me sane over the last six weeks…that was no small task and they didn’t quit, which is a good thing! I am hopeful in the months ahead we can all share the Cup together and toast us all. It’s a shame my father Paul wasn’t here to see all of this and to celebrate with us, but we will toast him for sure as well! Let’s go Luxco and Let’s GO BLUES!!!!