Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE / November 15, 2012

Contact: Jeffrey Solsby / 202 243 7506 / jeff.solsby@wswa.org

Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America PAC Achieves 95% Success Rate in Election

PAC Will Hit Record $2 Million Level by Year-End; Contributions Doubled Over Last Three Cycles

(WASHINGTON)—The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Political Action Committee (WSWA-PAC) is on track to achieve a record $2 million in contributions for the current election cycle. The group’s PAC also earned a 95-percent success rate in the recent election supporting candidates and incumbents from both parties who are supportive of issues important to wholesalers and their employees.

“WSWA has made a concerted effort to aggressively build our industry grass roots and develop a broad base of political engagement across the country,” President and CEO Craig Wolf said. “Our PAC is supported by workers at a variety of levels within wholesaler operations, from field sales to managers and senior executives. This commitment on the part of our members is an essential ingredient of our successful political activism strategy and to our success in supporting candidates this cycle” he added.

Since the 2007-2008 election cycle, WSWA-PAC has doubled in size.  With receipts for the current cycle projected to top $2 million by year-end, the PAC will move into a group of the largest PACs in the trade association community.  WSWA-PAC is supported by more than 2,300 individual contributors employed by member firms as well as ten of the association’s 18 employees.

“Wine and spirits wholesalers serve as the central hub in the three-tiered alcohol beverage manufacturing and distribution system.  This system delivers American consumers the widest variety and diversity of products through a process that is safe, accountable and ensures payment of excise taxes and fees to local, state and federal governments,” Wolf added.

The U.S. wine and spirits wholesale industry directly employs more than 65,000 workers in every state, paying more than $4.6 billion in wages at 4,400 facilities.  

WSWA is a national trade association representing the wholesale tier of the wine and spirits industry. With more than 350 member companies across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, WSWA is the voice for wholesalers in Congress, the administration, the courts, with the news media and in communities across America. For information about WSWA, visit www.wswa.org.

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