LOS ANGELES -- As Pabst Brewing adds Tsingtao to its beer portfolio, it has created a new division called Jacob Best Imports to be led by former vice president of national accounts Mark Beatty.
The new division is named after Jacob Best Sr., a German-American brewer who, in 1844, founded what would later become the Pabst Brewing Co. in Milwaukee.
As president and general manager of Jacob Best Imports, Beatty will oversee the sales and distribution of Tsingtao Beer, which Pabst added to its portfolio on July 1. He'll also be tasked with building an import portfolio for Pabst, a new venture for the growing brewer.
Beatty will build brand-development and market-activation teams to support and grow the company's import business. He will work out of Dallas and report to Pabst CEO Eugene Kashper. Before joining Pabst in 2011, he was in national accounts with Heineken USA for eight years.
Brian Smith, formerly national sales leader for Mark Anthony Brands, will fill Beatty's previous position as vice president of national accounts. He will be in charge of planning and execution within the national accounts organization and growing Pabst's business with chain customers. He will report to Bruce Muenter, executive vice president of sales.
Pabst is the third-largest beer brewer in the United States behind Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors.
Blue Ribbon Intermediate Holdings LLC, Los Angeles, purchased Pabst Brewing Co. in November. Blue Ribbon is a partnership between American beer entrepreneur Eugene Kashper and San Francisco-based TSG Consumer Partners LLC, a leading investor in growth consumer brands.
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