April 2002
John Vesce promoted to Vice President of Bedford Brands Ltd.
When John Vesce joined Bedford in 1995, the Northeast Division was selling about 15,000 cases of wine. At the end of 2001, the Northeast Division sold about 70,000 cases and continues to grow. Mario Belardino, President of Bedford, said in announcing the promotion: "John Vesce totally embodies the standards under which Bedford must operate: Integrity, Commitment, and Enthusiasm. In addition John brings to his work a unique and relentless passion and devotion to the needs of our distributors. John deserves this promotion as a reward for his loyalty to these standards. In addition, John has become a close and valued friend of my family and mine and of our family of suppliers. Thanks, John and Rona!"
Contratto hosts a historic tasting of 66 Barolo producers
On 6 April 2002, Carlo and Antonella Bocchino, owners of the Contratto estate, held an historic tasting of the 1998 Barolos from 66 of the top producers in Piedmont. The press hailed this event as a landmark tasting of one of the greatest vintages in memory.
Giuseppe Tomaselli new Export Director for Umani Ronchi
Tomaselli was a fine wine manager for several years for the Enotria import firm of Great Britain. He returns to Italy, where he was born, to assist Michele Bernetti in the foreign operations department, which has grown substantially in recent years. Giuseppe will be traveling to the USA market in order to work closely with Bedford and the distributors in the marketplace.
Bedford adds to its Regional staff:
Kelly McGathen from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida has been asked to head the Southern Division of Bedford Brands. Kelly brings a great deal of experience to her new post, particularly in the promotion of fine Italian wines. She has developed friendships among many accounts from North Carolina down to the entire state of Florida. Kelly reflects the high standards demanded in representing the Bedford portfolio and we welcome her to a region that we expect will grow substantially in the future. Benvenuta, Kelly!
Sharon Jones from Los Angeles, California joins the Bedford family as the head of the Western Division. Sharon brings great enthusiasm and vigor to this new post in a region that is not only growing, but contains a substantial number of the USA population. Sharon has had experience handling distributors in California, Arizona, Nevada and will now be working also in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Sharon is a real go-getter and we are excited about the growth possibilities in this crucial region with Sharon on board. Benvenuta, Sharon!
Pat Donofrio has been appointed as the Bedford agent for the state of Ohio. Welcome, Pat
