Alliance appoints Mike Colquitt to boost exports

Published: 03 December, 2012

Alliance Wine has appointed Enotria's Scottish sales director Mike Colquitt as export development manager in a bid to grow across all sectors of the market.

The distributor says the move aims to further capitalise on the potential that its long term vision has created and counters the recent spate of high profile business failures and restructures in the industry which it claims has "shaken everybody".

The development follows its own significant changes to the board functions earlier on in 2012. Having founded the business in 1984, Chris Bouteiller has moved to executive chairman and Fergal Tynan MW has taken on the role of chief executive.

Colquitt will join Alliance in January 2013 and will be tasked with building on Alliance's "burgeoning" export business which is supported by wine production projects across six countries, and has seen the development of sales to 11 countries so far in 2012 with major product launches planned for early 2013.

Tynan said: "Alliance remains committed to the UK on-trade and independent retail sector and these two channels remain our main focus. However, the potential we've created through our various winemaking projects can only be realised through fully resourcing all channels. We're delighted that Mike has joined Alliance and his appointment is proof that Alliance is attracting the best talent. These are incredibly exciting developments for Alliance and they will not be the last."

Giles Cooke MW, marketing director said: "It's been somewhat shocking that its taken four years of recession for it to really bite and the recent failures in the UK industry have certainly shaken everybody. But Alliance has always done things a little differently and our resolutely multi channel approach has proved to be not only the model of stability but the foundations for strong growth both here and abroad."

Alliance has also rebuilt and re-launched its website which now reflects the business more accurately and includes in-depth winery information, interactive maps, own production info, downloadable fact sheets and an active food, and a wine and lifestyle blog.

Alliance was winner of International Wine Challenge Wine List of the Year 2012 www.alliancewine.co.uk

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