From his market in Springfield, Missouri, “Retailer of the Year” Ron Junge of Brown Derby Stores has built a business that’s now nearly five decades old. Through it all, Junge has been a pioneer for the industry, blazing a path in the Midwest for items like classified growth Bordeaux, California cult Cabernets, upscale spirits and, more recently, craft beer and spirits. Today, Brown Derby does $30 million in annual sales, fueled by a passion for the products it sells.
Among our new Leaders for 2015, we have similarly great stories. Diana Hirst runs the Southern California institution Hi-Time Wine Cellars, continuing the legacy of her father, Fritz Hanson, and his brother Harold Hanson, who became a Leader in 1986. Kenneth Lee of Las Vegas–based Lee’s Discount Liquor has taken the…
