Maxxium to enter US travel-retail market

Joe Bates

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As part of its ongoing reorganisation the global drinks group is to represent brands from DFDA and Future Brands Duty Free in the US travel-retail market

Maxxium Global Travel Retail has announced it is to enter the US duty-free market on July 1 this year. A new division, Maxxium Travel Retail Americas, will take over the responsibility for the brands represented by distributors Future Brands Duty-Free and DFDA, both of which are owned by Maxxium's shareholders. The brands include Absolut vodka, Rémy Martin, Jim Beam, The Macallan, DeKuyper, Cointreau, The Famous Grouse and Plymouth gin.

Maxxium Travel Retail Americas will be based in the Miami Lakes area of South Florida and headed by Santiago Cash, who joins as regional director Americas in mid-May. Mimi Powe has been appointed USA sales director and will transfer on July 1 from her current position with Future Brands Duty-Free. Malcolm Smith joins from Maxxium Mexico to fill the role of financial controller.

The recruitment of the sales and marketing team is almost finished and most of the staff are expected to transfer from Future Brands Duty-Free and DFDA.

Maxxium Global Travel Retail managing director John Mangiacapra said: "By combining the two premium brand portfolios of Future Brands Duty-Free and DFDA, we will be even better placed to build our brands in the dynamic and progressive travel-retail market. Maxxium and our shareholders regard the integration of the two businesses as an opportunity to enhance the sales, marketing and back-office resources dedicated to travel-retail. This provides a great opportunity for both ourselves and our trading partners to build the business together."

The creation of Maxxium Travel Retail Americas follows the announcement last month that the travel-retail distribution operations of V&S Group and Maxxium were to merge to form a new company, Maxxium Nordic Travel Retail.

Both developments are part of a phased expansion, originally announced last summer, that will see the US, Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, India, Africa and parts of Eastern Europe added to the regions Maxxium already serves. The expansion will be completed by the end of this year.