Featured Affiliates

BRASS FOUNDRY BREWING CO.

On the western edge of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, Brass Foundry Brewing Co. began in 2017, designing beers that have already won major awards in just a few years of business. The company’s Cream Ale took home the silver medal and its Question 63 India pale ale (IPA) won the bronze in the 2020 New York International Beer Competition. The competition had 600 entries from 14 countries, making these big honors for any company.

Brass Foundry Brewing does not have a taproom. Instead the focus is on distribution — partnering with retailers and distributors in only Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin markets, explains Eric Petersen, sales director. Due to this approach, a lot of attention is given to the retailers and three Wisconsin-based distributors who sell Brass Foundry products. “We do tap takeovers, coordinate samplings (when allowed), and meet with our accounts in each area to try to learn about them, what their needs are and what products people are asking for, so we know what to develop in the future,” he adds.

This craft brewer is a member of the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association and the TLW. It is not a member of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild, a move Petersen says is intentional as the organization holds beliefs that conflict with Brass Foundry’s point of view.

“It’s our belief we should support everyone — the retailers, liquor stores, bars — everyone,” he explains.

After starting to market here just last August, 60% of the Wisconsin market is Cream Ale. Petersen and controller John Kraus both say the Tavern League has done extraordinary things for its members, and it directly relates to the company philosophy of partnership and caring about others first.

“We love the feedback the TLW and beverage associations have given us because they’ve pointed us to the people that they like to work with most,” Petersen says. “Any input we can receive from actual people is valuable and helps guide our decisions.”

This fall, Brass Foundry customers can look forward to Amber Ale being released in Wisconsin starting in September. The company is also working on darker beers to be released in the winter.

“We love craft beer, but what drove us to the business is we all had industry experience,” says Kraus. “Mine was in finance, Petersen’s was in sales and our CEO has a history of entrepreneurial adventures. We saw a really big demand in the industry and combined all of our backgrounds to create a really strong brewery.”

BANILLA GAMES LOGO STYLE GUIDE

BANILLA GAMES

Banilla Games began in Greenville, North Carolina, but now does business in many different states and has a Jackson, Wisconsin, franchise that opened in 2018.

“We are a software company,” explains Dan Lewicki, Midwest sales manager. “We develop our own amusement software for the entertainment industry and work exclusively with Wisconsin Amusement and Music Operators (WAMO), another affiliate of the Tavern League.”

Banilla develops the software in house, then markets it to distributors. In other words, the company’s service area is the entire state, but all sales are through WAMO. The games are playerfriendly, and not too hard for anyone to enjoy without previous experience or knowledge.

“We put a lot of effort into the player experience, making games with very relatable themes that are attractive and have a good rhythm,” Chris Gunkel, sales executive, adds. “It keeps people excited to play and continue playing.”

The development happens in house at the main office in Greenville, with a full team of designers, programmers and 3D animators. This difference is important to customers as the company makes, and therefore can tweak, fix or alter the games in any way to make them better. “We’re not just ordering software and selling it as the middleman,” Gunkel explains.

The Great American Buffalo is one popular game that many TLW members may be familiar with. It’s requested often, so much so that “our competitors copied it,” according to Lewicki and Gunkel. Another game Banilla released recently is King Kong, based on the old-time movie, which is causing the same level of excitement as the buffalo game. “That’s our latest and greatest, garnering a lot of requests,” confirms Lewicki.

Both he and Gunkel hail from Wisconsin, which they say gives them a very good “lay of the land,” understanding TLW members, and customer likes and dislikes.

“We know the industry and it’s turned into a good business model for us because we know the state better than others,” Lewicki says.

Banilla Games decided to partner with the TLW because of its close affiliation with WAMO and its important role to the TLW. “We’re all in this together,” he adds. “From a political standpoint, a business standpoint and an amusement industry standpoint, the taverns are our business and we affect theirs.”

UV BRILLIANCE/3DL DESIGN

CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SU FT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES NDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTA S • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES UNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FO PPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCER SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS CERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMICA IN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS ROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMI NTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CH Randy Harju, owner of 3DL Design and UV Brilliance, had a rough start to the year. As a trade show company, 3DL Design took a huge hit with the cancellations of exhibitor halls everywhere. He says that he tried to first pivot by offering some COVID protection products, FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODU then relaunched and refocused his business approach with UV • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS Brilliance, a holistic approach to virus mitigation. S • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRO DUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS Harju says that COVID-19 protection can be done without the use ALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD P of harsh chemicals. He spent months working with experts and RODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS MICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS D PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTION HEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITE FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECT IONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES FECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES LET’S GO BACK IN TIME AND CELEBRATE Roaring Savings researching how to educate others. He says chemical disinfection practices (wiping menus, door handles, tables, toilets, etc.) may eliminate 5% of the coronavirus spread, but there’s a more effective alternative, and that is to mitigate COVID-19 spread with light and air. The UV Brilliance Disinfection System uses the power of four Helo F1 ultraviolet (UV) light fixtures to disinfect 400 square feet in half an hour. The portable system emits an ultra high-intensity, broad- spectrum pulsed xenon UV light in four directions. According to FECTIONS •Harju, this alone eliminates nearly all of the bacteria, fungi and CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • viruses in a space. S • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPL “UV Brilliance offers an examination of your square footage and TEMS • • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • S floorplan to give you a mitigation plan you can build on,” he CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN S GIFT ITEMS •• FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES UNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNT IES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES 2021 Spring Show March 4th & 5th explains. “Chances are that members can’t afford an entire program at once, but if people are spending money on chemical disinfection, it’s really a waste.” UNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FO PPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCER SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS Harju wants to offer TLW members more protection against COVID-19 than just Plexiglas shields and chemicals. UV disinfection machines, he explains, are being used to sanitize New York mass transit vehicles, as with many other important areas and equipment. At the beginning of the CERIESpandemic, he says that he sold shields, dividers and more (and still does • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMICA if that’s what people want to buy), but now that he knows other, more IN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS effective options are available, he pushes those more aggressively. ROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CHEMI NTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODUCTS GROCERIESHarju says, in addition to selling UV disinfection units, his team also • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS • CH provides the service, sterilizing areas using lights, then guides the bar FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRODU owners on what to do next. “Just don’t try to spray every square inch of the bar with chemical disinfection daily or hourly,” he advises. • GROCERIES S • FOUNTAIN • SUNDRIES SUPPLIES • • CONFECTIONS GIFT ITEMS • FOOD PRO DUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS ALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS • FOOD P RODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTIONS MICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITEMS Holiday Wholesale, Inc. 225 Pioneer Drive • PO Box 177 Moreover, Harju warns that the UV disinfection equipment sold online through big retailers can be dangerous. Instead, he suggests using regulated machines safely, after training. Harju says he continues to scour the planet for solutions with UV light and will D PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECTION HEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT ITE FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES • CONFECT Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965 800 • 333 • 8321 continue adding more products to sell via UV Brilliance. “We only test high-end products,” he concludes. IONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • GIFT FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIESwww.holidaywholesale.comHarju thanks the TLW for its business over the years and supporting him as he moves to a new venture! FECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPLIES • UV BRILLIANCE/3DL DESIGN 5511 95th Ave., Kenosha, WI 53144 S • FOOD PRODUCTS • GROCERIES • SUNDRIES (262) 842-0530 | cv19pp.com and 3dldesign.com CONFECTIONS • CHEMICALS • FOUNTAIN SUPPL