Behind that famous beard and the ever-present flannel, polo, and/or vest topped off with a baseball cap, Journeyman Distillery owner Bill Welter exhibits an incredibly sharp mind for business, and has always been laser-focused on bringing top quality products to the marketplace while maintaining a firm hand on the wheel of success. Don’t let the folksy ambiance fool you. In barely a decade Welter and his wife Johanna have carved out an amazing niche on the regional spirits scene and he’s taking things national at the first of the year.
Their Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks has signed a national distribution contract that begins on January 1st with one of the largest players in the business, following successful negotiations to do it Bill’s way.
Welter tipped his hand on the plan through social media this week by posting the news. Here’s what he had to say:
“You know what they say about overnight success? It’s usually the result of years of hard work. Our family and mighty team in the town of Three Oaks MI, has been working for a decade to create world class grain to bottle spirits. We’ve been honored with accolades, success and an amazing journey.
We are excited to announce our new collaboration with 375 Park Avenue Spirits. We are honored to join teams together to bring Journeyman to the wider audience it merits. We proudly serve 19 states and are ready to ‘United We Whiskey’ across all fifty.
Founders and owners Bill and Johanna Welter remain at the helm continuing to steer the brand to those who appreciate a stellar batch of whiskey. Together, with the 375 Park Avenue Spirits’ team, we will reach new heights and new enthusiasts. This wouldn’t be possible without the people who stay up all night making the batch just right for – our customers, our partners, our followers, our loyalists. So, join us in a toast because the American entrepreneurial dream is alive and well.”
I reached out to Bill this morning and he confirmed the news in more detail, telling me, “We’ve signed an agreement with 375 Park Avenue Spirits, a national broker that will represent us in the United States and make an attempt to extend our presence across the U.S. and hope to grow it further within the existing markets that we’re in. It’s a four year contract, and we think we’re with the best in the business, inasmuch as they carry a big stick and we’re excited to see what they can do with the Journeyman brand.”
The news gets better for Welter, inasmuch as most of the brands currently on the docket through 375 Park Avenue Spirits are international. Journeyman becomes one of only two domestic brands in the line up, and will be the only one focused on whiskey. They were looking for an American craft whiskey that was well positioned, and Welter’s crew fills that bill nicely. 375 Park Avenue Spirits operates as an independent subsidiary of the Sazerac Company, based in New Orleans, and one of the leading providers of spirits in America.
Before negotiations even got close to the serious level, Welter made one thing clear. He wasn’t going anywhere. He says, “A lot of times these deals are structured with some kind of equity piece or even an outright sale, and really from day one our discussions with 375 we made it clear that we want to maintain what’s at the core of our very being as a business. That our goal has always been to create a family-owned business, that is multi-generational in nature, with the hope that our daughter someday will own and operate it, and who knows where it might go from there. I’ll be long gone, but it would be nice to see Journeyman around some three to four generations from now.” Every Journeyman fan can nod their head affirmatively on that count.
So, the contract begins on January 1, 2021, and the current cadre of 19 states where Journeyman products are available will expand dramatically to the rest of the nation.
Welter likes the fact that he’s able to provide some good news during these tough times. He readily admits, “We’re still facing many challenges at our actual physical location due to the pandemic, with limited capacities for restaurant diners, and the like, nevertheless it’s nice to have some good, positive news in such a challenging time with COVID.” He concludes, “Our distribution, hopefully, will increase, with this opportunity, and hopefully, like so many other restaurants and entertainment facilities, we hope the coronavirus goes away and we can get back to business as usual.”
You can find Journeyman Distillery, their tasting facilities, Staymaker Restaurant and their event spaces in the historic EK Warren Featherbone Factory building at 109 Generations Drive in downtown Three Oaks and online at http://www.journeymandistillery.com
