Concessions boost bottom line for vendors

The service contracts awarded to area

vendors and distributors by the Reno Aces

are providing a significant boost to the

bottom lines of those businesses.

Mike Loewer, general manager of

Coors-New West Distributing, says opening

day crowds of more than 25,000

consumed more than 80 kegs and 150

cases of bottled and canned beer in just

three days.

"It is a very large account and a very

prestigious one," Loewer says.

Coors-New West Distributing currently

is using regular full-time staff to service

the Aces account, but once special events

season rolls in Coors-New West

Distributing has every major event in town

except for the Best in the West Nugget

Rib Cookoff and Reno Air Races, Loewer

says the company will add additional

staff starting the second week in May.

Loewer says the financial strength of

the corporate brand helped him win the

contract.

"Because of Miller-Coors Brewing

Company we were able to secure dollars

out of a national company, and we

brought in Luce and Sons to make it

affordable," he says. "Having multiple

companies, along with Miller-Coors, was

able to give me the opportunity to secure

this account at a very fair rate."

Coors-New West Distributing signed a

five-year contract to supply adult beverages

to the ballpark. It also made significant

investments signage at the ballpark,

such as on the scoreboard and at the

Coors Light Party Zone.

"When you come into a large venue,

signage is key," Loewer says. "Having the

dominant signage package we have

shows brand ownership of the entire facility.

"This is the biggest thing to happen in

Reno since they built the Silver Legacy,"

he adds. "I spent lot more money on this

than most would, and there is a lot of

incremental stuff that comes along with it

and incremental labor that is spent. Its not

just cut check and you are done. But we

are prepared to do that I think that is why

my brand is the No. 1 brand in northern

Nevada."

Nick Spallone, general

manager/owner of Tahoe Supply, credits

the hard work of one of his top salesmen,

Gary Archie, as the main reason his company

was awarded the contract for cleaning

products.

"Gary worked unbelievably hard to

try and put things together," Spallone

says. "He has a can-do attitude, and he

put that as one of the facilities he wanted

to see our products go into. I have some

incredibly talented people who work for

me; they are real go-getters in trying to

drive new business our way."

In addition to cleaning products,

Tahoe Supply will provide all the cleaning

tools for the public areas of the stadium,

as well as the garbage bags, paper products

and hand soap for the Aces 72

home games.

A full crowd at a ballgame generates

a staggering amount of trash, Spallone

says. Tahoe Supply uses bags made from

recycled plastic, and the cleaning chemicals

used at the ballpark are Green Seal

approved.

"They have really made a commitment

to make it a nice environment, but also to

protect our environment as well,"

Spallone says. "Typically those products

are not always the cheapest way of doing

things. The Aces made a nice investment

when it comes to that."

Spallone says initial estimates for

paper products at the park were pretty

accurate, and that a shortage would have

been "disastrous."

"We have a very simple goal," he

says. "The items we sell, people shouldn't

have to worry about. I think we created

that over that first weekend."

The Siena Hotel Spa Casino also will

benefit, as it provides 20 rooms to visiting

teams as part of a host hotel package.