Press release: Premium whiskies and liqueurs for gastronomy and events - Strategic alliance with sales agency OTHER GUYS

Germany's largest whisky distillery enters into strategic alliance with renowned sales agency.

Premium whiskies and liqueurs for gastronomy and events: St. Kilian Distillers and other guys enter into distribution cooperation to strengthen and expand market position.

Rüdenau/Erfurt, July 2023

After several months of exploratory talks, a long-term sales cooperation between St. Kilian Distillers GmbH from Rüdenau in Lower Franconia and Erfurt-based OTHER GUYS GmbH was sealed last Tuesday.

At the Stillhouse, managing directors Philipp Trützler (St. Kilian Distillers) and Benjamin Trommler (OTHER GUYS) signed the cooperation agreement, which represents a milestone for both companies.

Supply chain situation caused delayed sales launch

Due to the prolonged supply chain problems, St. Kilian had to postpone its ambitious sales plans by a year. While the company's ambitious plan was to be part of the gastronomy revival in the wake of the pandemic, the war-related consequences for the glass bottle market abruptly thwarted these plans.

"From today's perspective, this was more of a blessing than a curse for the development perspective," says Philipp Trützler and explains, "The delays in delivery, which in some cases lasted several months, and the barely manageable delivery periods gave us the time and the opportunity to put many things to the test again. Only in this way was it possible for us to find the perfect sales partner and to further expand and optimize our product and brand portfolio until the start of the sales cooperation."

Perfect match: young, unconventional, determined

According to Kai Bentlage, sales manager and authorized signatory at St. Kilian, the company is a little proud that various international sales giants in the industry have come knocking in the last two years.

However, the concern of being lost in the broad brand portfolio of a large sales partner and possibly having to make too many concessions with regard to product and company development, especially as a very young company, had prevailed. This fear is not present with the cooperation partner that has now been acquired. Rather, they expect good cooperation and joint growth, Bentlage said, visibly pleased.

Also Benjamin Trommler, managing director of the commercial agency OTHER GUYS is very happy about the freshly founded partnership.
Small but fine and powerful, so Trommler sees his company based in Erfurt and continues "Our philosophy is to have only one premium manufacturer per spirit genre in the portfolio. In our view, St. Kilian is the clear quality leader in the fields of whisky and whisky-based liqueurs in Germany. Internationally, too, St. Kilian Distillers ranks among the absolute top, and that despite the company's relatively young history." Trommler sees huge potential in the Lower Franconian distillery and is certain that St. Kilian has everything it needs to quickly match the popularity and reputation of major whisky brands.

When asked why St. Kilian chose the sales professionals from OTHER GUYS to develop the gastronomy and event market segment, St. Kilian founder and owner Andreas Thümmler replies: "Both companies are young, unconventional and at the same time extremely goal-oriented. In addition, the "human" fits and the interaction with each other takes place at eye level. What more does it take for a perfect match?"

Strong brands and a well-rounded product portfolio meet expertise in distribution

Over the past three years, St. Kilian has transformed itself from a pure whisky distillery into a multi-brand company. Under the leadership of Managing Director Philipp Trützler and Andreas Thümmler, the founder and owner of St. Kilian, a gradual expansion with licensed brands has taken place. In addition to the core brand St. Kilian absolute top brands such as Bud Spencer Bud Spencer, Terence Hill, Judas Priest and Grave Digger to the brand portfolio of the successful German whiskey distillery. A variety of high-quality whiskies and liqueurs ensure a coordinated and well-rounded product portfolio within this brand world.

The sales agency Other Guys GmbH is known for its extensive expertise in distribution and its strong presence in the market. Its long-standing partnerships with leading companies have earned it a reputation as a trustworthy and reliable partner in the out-of-home beverage market. The cooperation with St. Kilian Distillers GmbH will enable OTHER GUYS to expand its portfolio to include the competence field of premium whiskies and premium liqueurs and to offer its customers a broader range of high-quality products. The distribution cooperation with OTHER GUYS will enable St. Kilian Distillers to strengthen its presence on the market and make its products available to an even wider range of customers.

Expansion in the area of St. Kilian liqueurs and new appearance

Until the start of distribution in August, the entire liqueur range of the St. Kilian brand is still to be revised. The launch of an egg liqueur with single malt whisky is planned for the next few days. In addition, St. Kilian's liqueurs will also be presented in a different guise in the future.
The presentation of the entire St. Kilian liqueur series will take place in July.

About St. Kilian Distillers GmbH

The German whisky distillery from Rüdenau near Miltenberg am Main in Lower Franconia is one of the leading producers of single malt whisky and liqueurs in Germany. Its products have been awarded more than 170 gold medals at the most prestigious industry competitions around the globe. In addition, awards such as "World-Class Distillery," "Distillery of the Year," and "Whisky of the Year" also attest to the top international level at which the distillery, which went into operation in 2016 and is thus still quite young, operates with its whiskies and liqueurs.
The owner of St. Kilian Distillers GmbH is investment banker and venture capitalist Andreas Thümmler.
St. Kilian Distillers supports the responsible use of alcohol, about which you can find out more at www.massvoll-geniessen.de. For more information on the company and portfolio, visit www.stkiliandistillers.com.

About trading agency OTHER GUYS GmbH

OTHER GUYS is a modern sales agency with many years of experience in the German beverage sector. With an exceptional network and contacts to opinion leaders in the industry, the agency team is an integral part of the scene around the new and established beverage culture. In the selection of the product portfolio, the enthusiasm for quality, innovation and professionalism is in the foreground. Brand building and solid sales growth are firm, equal pillars. Classic sales and the innovative representation of their partners - these are the core competencies of the team. OTHER GUYS strive for long-term cooperation with partners and customers. They understand sales as the heart of every company and develop unconventional and individual strategies. For more information on the company and portfolio, please visit www.otherguys.de.

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