Ardagh Group is targeting Napa Valley winemakers in the latest expansion of Ardagh Direct, its direct-to-customer bottle ordering service.
The packaging company will open a new office, allowing it to better serve its customers in the winemaking industry. The Ardagh Direct programme launched in January and gives brands the opportunity to buy Ardagh bottles by the pallet, but it has mainly concentrated on the craft beer and packaged food categories.
“The decision to expand our presence in the Napa Valley was a logical step in Ardagh Direct’s business growth strategy,” said Jeff Oberti, vice-president of sales for Ardagh Direct. “The area is one of the world’s premier viticulture regions and our office, centrally located within the heart of the wine-producing region in California, will provide wineries with access to Ardagh Direct’s sales and customer support teams, allowing them to meet face-to-face with us and visit our office to view product offerings.”
Ardagh said that the Ardagh Direct service was “unique to the US market”, allowing wineries to purchase high-quality, American-made glass bottles in a variety of sizes, colours and styles with the flexibility to order less than truckload quantities.
Oberti continued: “The Ardagh Direct team has years of experience servicing wineries in the western US and Canada and has the knowledge, along with the resources, to work alongside wineries to evaluate their needs, deliver the level of service expected and offer a product line that is relevant to the marketplace.”
In addition to the new Napa office, Ardagh Group operates a one million-square-foot distribution facility in Fairfield, California.
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