Sommeliers Choice Awards 2024 Winners
Washington Liquor Distributor
Category: Spirits Importer
Country: United States
Date:14/10/2013
We are a family, literally. Before being a company, we are a family and have an interesting trajectory when it comes to our business endeavors. Every generation, for the last 4 generations, has had the opportunity to own and operate a successful business. In 1955, our family started an import and distribution business of irrigation systems in Guadalajara, Mexico. Servando Ortoll, a Spanish Immigrant, who had been residing in Mexico for 7 years founded the company and grew its distribution network to cover the entire country. In 1979, the company’s leadership was passed to the second generation; Alberto Ortoll Sr. took the lead, and expanded the product lineup to satisfy the growing demand. In 1984, Therese Ortoll joined efforts with Alberto to further develop the sales in the southeast of Mexico. She was in charge of field sales and the reorganization of the distribution network for four years, before taking additional responsibilities in supply management. In 1997, Therese Ortoll founded a company to export Mexican handcrafts to Oklahoma City, USA. The venture was very successful, and by 2001 it had reached not only the US market, but also the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada. The business closed doors in 2002, due to the economic downturn, and the strong competition coming from China. Today, after residing 6 years in Seattle Greater Area, we are making our next move. With the third generation fueled with energy and guided by the experience of Therese Ortoll, we are excited to open the market for Premium quality liquors in Washington. Our core team is formed by Alberto Ortoll Jr., and Therese Ortoll. Alberto Ortoll Jr. is responsible for the financial and marketing aspects of the company. He gained 5 years of experience doing market research and analysis while supporting marketing campaigns for large television networks (NBC, CBS, MTV, Bravo, and Entravision among others). He also has over three years of experience Budgeting and Forecasting, gained during his work on Microsoft Finance. Therese Ortoll is responsible for field sales, shipment coordination, and supplier relations. She has 17 years of experience in sales and promotion, 15 years in International Commerce, both importing and exporting; and 10 years in Nationwide Distribution.