Local distributor, O’Malley Beverage of Kansas, is one of twenty teams nationally to earn recognition.
Contact: Mike Bourneuf, General Manager
(785) 830-6900
mikeb@omalleybeverage.com
LAWRENCE, Kan. – When the staff and leadership team at O’Malley Beverage of
Kansas closed the book on an unprecedented 2017, they knew it would be more
challenging to reach Gold Ambassador of Excellence status two years in a row. That
challenge was accepted and Anheuser-Busch has awarded O’Malley Beverage the 2018
Gold Ambassador of Excellence for the second-consecutive year.
The Ambassador of Excellence (AOE) program recognizes the best Anheuser-Busch
Distributors that show exemplary work in the areas of leadership, teamwork and
commitment to excellence. The AOE process is made up of key business initiatives that
are tracked from the first day of the year to the last. These include: leadership, people,
sales management, key account management, trade marketing and operations. Last
year, O’Malley Beverage of Kansas (OMBK) was one of just seven teams out of 450 to
attain the Gold Level in the program. In 2018 they won Gold back-to-back being just
one of 20 wholesalers to win the Gold. “I am so proud of our team. This is a great
accomplishment. Every member of our Team contributed to this success,” said General
Manager Mike Bourneuf.
While Bourneuf, sales manager Andrew Collmeyer and Kevin O’Malley, lead an
atmosphere of excellence on a daily basis, the added pressure of working the AOE
process and striving for Gold level status is supported by every team member.
Anheuser-Busch wholesaler are held to the highest standards of superior sales, service
and retail execution by delivering quality in everything we do. The AOE Gold winners
over achieve in all phases of the business.
Anheuser-Busch AOE program ranks wholesalers in three key areas: process (250
points), results (375 points) and execution (375 points). Process involves the day-today
business of the company. Results are sales volume targets, and execution includes
marketing and distribution objectives. Local Anheuser-Busch representatives were
impressed with O’Malley Beverage’s past performance and challenged the team to set
its sights on repeating Gold Level status. Challenged accepted, of the 1,000 possible
points, O’ Malley Beverage of Kansas scored a remarkable 967. “Why wouldn’t we
accept the challenge? Our team is competitive and we like to win. This team never
fails to amaze me with their dedication and work ethic. Together we can accomplish
anything. The pressure we felt at the end of the year is nothing compared to the pride
we have in achieving Gold Back to Back,” Collmeyer said.
Given their success in 2017 and 2018, a three-peat doesn’t seem far-fetched. If
O’Malley Beverage achieves a Gold Level Ambassador of Excellence designation three
times over five years, the team will earn Anheuser-Busch Ambassador of Excellence’s
highest honor – the ‘Big Jake’ Award. That award includes the coveted red jacket, a
trophy, added incentives at national meetings and the world-famous Clydesdale horses
will make a special trip to Lawrence.
About O’Malley Beverage of Kansas
O’Malley Beverage of Kansas has operated the local Anheuser-Busch wholesale
operation since September 2005. O’Malley Beverage distributes over 30 AnheuserBusch
brands, along with numerous craft brands like New Belgium, Sierra Nevada, KC
Bier and Odell. O’Malley is also the distributor for several Kansas breweries including
23rd Street Brewery, Defiance, and Walnut River. O’Malley Beverage of Kansas
covers six counties in northeast Kansas. Currently, the third generation of O’ Malley’s
are leading the company, which also has a location in St. Joseph, MO. With a focus on
community involvement, the employees and leadership members of O’Malley
Beverage serve on numerous boards and committees, striving to work hard to make the
communities they serve the best places to live, work and play.
