Salesforce
Wengler:
From Left
to right:
Bernard,
Frédéric,
Dominique,
Armand,
Raymond
and Rui.
HEINEKEN HEART
Damian has been working with Gérard for more than
three years, and he enjoys meeting him at the firm's
elegant chateau. "The amazing setting of the Wengler
headquarters, combined with the family business
atmosphere, makes you feel at home straight away.
Gérard is a real specialist who takes his time to advise
his clients on their purchases. He doesn't distinguish
between large purchases of the most expensive
champagne or small ones of a few cases of Heineken®.
I can honestly say that he has taken Heineken into his
heart. To celebrate our thirty-year partnership, we
have invited Gérard and his colleagues to come to
Amsterdam to visit Heineken."
CAVES WENGLER HISTORY
The "Wengler Empire" started in 1897, when Gérard's
great-grandfather, Pierre Wengler founded the
company. Pierre Wengler was a farmer who produced
his own wine and juices, as well as distilled spirits,
and sold them to restaurants. He also had his own
establishment. "When my grandfather Jean-Pierre took
over, he decided to give up farming. It was he who built
the trademark chateau, which we still use as our office,
our shop and for events. And it was built on the grounds
of the original farm."
After Jean-Pierre's retirement, his sons Albert, Paul
and Edmund continued the family business. In the
1960s Gérard's father, Albert reoriented the company.
He stopped in-house production and Caves Wengler
became a distributor and importer of premium
brands. "My father died in 1981 and at the same time
his brother Paul retired. I'd started working for the
company in 1975. For many years I ran the business
with my uncle Edmond and my mother Tilly, until I
bought all the shares in 1992 and became the sole
owner. I hope that one of my daughters, Charline or
Céline, or maybe even both, will take over the business
one day."
Gérard says that he was "married to the job" for many
years, and was late in becoming a father. "I hope that I
will keep my good health long enough to help them run
the business."
UNDER PRESSURE
Despite the obvious match with Heineken®, Gérard
says that it is not easy to sell beer in Luxembourg. "The
Luxembourg beer market has been under pressure
for a few years now. We are very proud that we have
managed to keep our sales stable, compared to 2007,
given the rainy summer we had this year. In fact, we
hope to show a gain in sales at the end of the year."
His view of replacing the traditional export bottle
with the Heineken® longneck bottle with clear plastic
label, has helped sales. "Our customers love the new
longneck," he says. "It has a more luxurious feel to it
that makes it fit in even better with our other premium
brands."
TOAST
Heineken®'s match with the firm's other premium
brands is demonstrated time and again at the tasting
events they organise, to which around 400 people
are usually invited. "Afterwards, people often ask for
a bottle of Heineken®," says Gérard. "And when I'm
thirsty, I'll also open a bottle of Heineken®. So I'd like to
toast to our fruitful relationship with Heineken, which I
hope will continue for many years to come."
