Brand Owner Profile - Preiss Imports

A Family Matter

By Victoria CeCe PREISS IMPORT’S QUEST FOR QUALITY AND DIVERSITY

Extending over half a century and many generations. Forty different spirits. Sixteen different countries (and counting). That’s Preiss Imports.

A family-run company from the start, there’s no doubt that the Preiss family are pioneers in the spirit industry. This niche import company is behind some of the most invigorating artisanal beverages on the market.

This all began with one major move, a father’s vision and his son’s big dreams. Henry Preiss, CEO and founder of Preiss Imports, fondly remembers how their family import business found its footing. It all began in Germany over 60 years ago. “My father brought our family over from Germany to the USA in 1961. My father had a sales territory in Germany where he sold food, wines, and spirits,” explains Preiss. “He proposed to his suppliers for some sponsorship funds to help him start his company in the states. With a few dollars in his pocket, some sponsorships, we packed up and immigrated.”

Preiss was still very young, but from the beginning, he admired his father. “It’s hard for me to imagine how hard it was for him to pull this off.”

This admiration urged Preiss to quickly join the family company. But don’t be fooled. The owner’s son had to start at the bottom. “When I started, I was a delivery driver,” says Preiss, “that soon morphed into a dual role of delivery boy— salesman.”

Preiss fell in love with the world of wine and spirits, making his entrance a turning point in the trajectory of the family business. “As I delivered, I saw opportunities for my father’s brands and started offering them. Soon I was carrying a suit in the van and switched from jeans when delivering to a suit for sales.”

With a keen eye for artisanal spirits, Preiss set a tone of diversity for the business. The new Preiss Imports, which he established in 2010 with his daughter Nikki, is a thorough representation of that. The portfolio highlights Preiss’ pursuit of establishing credibility through quality. And, to him, diversity and quality go hand in hand.

“What really sets us apart is our portfolio’s sheer selection,” mentions Preiss. “From the beginning of this company, Nikki and I have been on a global quest for brands that resonate with us. That journey has taken through the past ten years, where we now have 40 suppliers (from the USA, Mexico, Peru, UK, Ireland, the EU, and New Zealand) along with brands using fair trade ingredients from Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Bolivia, and so on.”

CEO Henry Preiss

Nikki and Henry Preiss

Such a diverse portfolio makes Preiss Imports’ portfolio so desirable to bar and restaurant owners. “We are a bartender’s dream!” says Preiss, “Our selection offers the kind of brands and products that can set an establishment apart.” With 40+ brands and 16 countries to choose from, Preiss isn’t playing around.

So, with such a fascinating foundation and portfolio, what does the future hold for Preiss Imports? To start, the evolution of its domestic portfolio, which, according to Preiss, is about to make its debut.

No matter what’s on the horizon with Preiss Imports, we can assume one thing for sure— quality. It’s what the Preiss family always pursued from the start. As Preiss says perfectly, “Remember, a little bit of something done well is so much better than a lot of low-quality nothing.”