We are thrilled to announce that Volio has been ranked as one of the fastest growing private companies on the Inc. 5000 for 2023. With 170% growth over 3 years, Volio is honored to be #87 in Food and Beverage and #3,045 overall. We are energized that we have sustained this level of growth as we have ranked 3 times on the Inc 5000 over the past 5 years.
As we raise our glasses to this milestone, we remain focused on our mission to share the stories and traditions behind each bottle of wine Volio represents.
We extend a heartfelt “Salute!” to our producers and distributors for being instrumental in making this achievement possible! To the buying community of incredible professionals in restaurants and retail around the US, thank you for building our brands and creating the culture of wine we enjoy today.
About Volio Imports:
Volio is a fine wine importer headquartered in Denver, CO. Volio has been building relationships with multi-generational wineries since 2007 and is honored to bring their wines to markets across the US. Representing 45+ Producers from Italy, France, and Spain, it is Volio’s mission to connect the customer experience to the vineyard experience.
By: Charles Lazzara
A group of young entrepreneurs reached out to me for some advice with their new wine distribution business the other day. They were very excited and appeared super focused, but their organizational structure looked more like a class paper than real life. On paper they had a CEO, CSO, CFO, “Education Officer,” Advanced Somm on payroll, and someone called the “Head People Officer.” They did not have sales people to manage, no employees to file HR claims, and no customers yet.
I told the group they appeared to be all hat and no cattle. What did they know about the industry that they believed presented either a gap or a problem worth solving? How could they distribute better, or offer products that were compelling enough to compete and win in a supersaturated and flat category like wine? I thought there needed to be a business case to start the business, otherwise what was the point?
Most days I feel like I’m still in startup mode, but the business has come a long way since opening the doors in 2007. Back then, I had a really simple idea and with only $10,000 to buy wine and start delivering, the org chart was pretty boring. It was just me.
My strategy was really simple. Sell as much wine as I could by developing great relationships with 20 accounts, then recover the AR to buy more of the same wine. I didn’t hire a sales person until I had a territory built out for them to move into and cover their cost. So, needless to say, I would incubate a territory to that threshold, then hire someone to run that territory so I could go build another, all the while I was punching the orders, reordering for the warehouse needs, recovering AR, paying bills, and organizing logistics. Office personnel were the last hires because I wasn’t selling to online retailers or chains, and I didn’t understand how the office could help generate revenue.
I remember hearing something about how Thomas Keller had new team members start in the dish pit, even if they were accomplished chefs or destined to work the floor. I think his belief was that if they knew how hard the work was at every position, they’d respect it and understand how everyone contributes to the success of the business. For me, doing all the jobs was a financial necessity — I couldn’t afford to hire anyone to do it — and it was the only way I’d ever be able to train someone in the future.
I have made tons of mistakes learning my way through each position. This has helped me be empathetic when team members make mistakes, but leaves a lot less room to be sympathetic when the same errors continue to be made. That just goes back to not listening well.
I think all organizations, big or small, should encourage their teams to feel comfortable making mistakes, granted the smaller the better. People that listen and make mistakes are likely improving themselves, attempting to improve the customer experience, and are therefore a huge benefit to the organization as they push themselves.
At Volio, we created our BFAs (Be F’ing Awesome) as a team to define our company culture.
Be of Benefit (not a burden) | Be Kind (to all) | Be Honest (aka no bullshit) | Be Bulletproof (in your knowledge)
We talk about the BFAs monthly. We give out “BFAs” in meetings and via email when people live up to these values and it’s reflected in their work.
I would love to have seen these new entrepreneurs focused more on problem solving first, and structuring their business with a commitment to their solution as opposed to an impressive org chart with no clear case for how they could compete and what their goals were. Starting a business does not mean reinventing the wheel, but I wanted to be walked through the gaps in the wine business in a way that demonstrated their understanding of the industry. For example, they could implement inexpensive, widely available technology to optimize their prospective buyer’s time so that face-to-face meetings build up to a meaningful relationship as opposed to a transaction.
Startups have an amazing freedom to pivot, adapt, and change to meet a customer’s need that established companies really cannot compete with. It’s their relationship superpower. In the distribution business, so many established companies are burdened with layers of bureaucracy that customers would almost rather support anyone else if they have good reason to do so… they just want to build a relationship with someone who they see as a benefit to their business, not the other way around.
I really hope these young entrepreneurs can find a way to stand out, and I’d love to see them find their purpose and kick butt. I don’t think there is anything more exciting than seeing someone do well when they take risks.
– – – – –
If you enjoyed this post, sign up for our newsletter to receive regular educational content and updates from Volio!
Being ranked as one of the fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine is incredible. The best part is that it gives me a chance to talk about how great the people of Volio are — after all that is how we got to where we are today.Wine is a tough business. Low barriers to entry create a supersaturated landscape and an almost unlimited supply of choice for consumers. In addition, wine hasn’t done a great job adapting to the next generation of drinkers after the baby boomers. With quality wine coming from every continent, the hard part for Volio’s customers isn’t finding wine, it’s finding our wine.Volio is focused on European Imports with a heavy concentration in Italy where the average retail shelf offers 40-50 Italian selections. Italy alone has over 40,000 wineries fighting to export to the US. The only way you get our wine on the shelf, or on a restaurant list, is with a team of incredible people.A few years ago we got together at an all-company meeting to shape our company culture. Our “Values & Cornerstones” looked pretty vanilla and we needed to make it look/feel more like who we were. It was an incredible exercise. Our amazingly talented Director of Marketing sent out a survey with a lot of thought-provoking questions like, “What do you want your customer to say about you after you’ve left a meeting?” The team really engaged (because they are pros) and the responses showed how we were all moving collectively towards a few common themes.The feeling we want our customers to have after we’ve left became our mantra: Be F**king Awesome (or BFAs as we call it). I could have never imagined how much this would change the game for us, but it lit a fire under our company culture and accelerated our growth. We boil everything down to the principles we outlined together under our BFAs and we talk about them weekly, if not daily, through internal and external communication. It’s changed the way we communicate, helps us problem solve, and helps us measure ourselves to our standards.
Be Kind — The world of wine is vast, but the industry is small. Simply put, follow the Golden Rule.
Be Passionate — Passion leads to dedication. It implies an intent to learn and develop, it’s engaging, and if you have it, others can feel it and want to be around it.
Be of Benefit — If not, you are a burden and not a resource to your customer. Attention to detail and a sense of urgency are key drivers here.
Be Bulletproof — In our knowledge of product, market, and customer relationships.
No Bullshit — Listen to what customers say, don’t just wait to talk…and be honest. We aren’t supposed to know it all, but we should be able to find the answers and follow up.
Our growth has come from our team and their collective commitment to see themselves “in” Volio, not “at” Volio. That kind of growth knows no limit!
– Charles Lazzara
If you’re looking to get your hands on the #1 wine brand in Italy you’re in the right place.
Volio Imports launched as the national importer of Tavernello, the #1 Italian Wine Brand, starting May 2021 through a strategic partnership with Caviro. The excellent value of Tavernello comes from combining generations of Italian tradition with modern winemaking techniques. Enjoyed by Italian families for over 30 years, the wines are approachable varietals and blends that celebrate and represent the Italian lifestyle.
Contact us and we’ll get you in touch with your local Tavernello distributor.
As a cooperative, Caviro is dedicated to sustainability with the vision of managing the land so it can be passed on to future generations. They have received leading sustainability awards for their holistic and dedicated approach to economic, social, and environmental sustainability, adding even more value to every glass of Tavernello.
The wines of Tavernello present perfect opportunities for learning about and appreciating Italian wine and sustainable winemaking as a whole, especially for those who are new to imported wine. Volio is thrilled to introduce these approachable wines to eager and curious drinkers in the US.
Download our roster here to locate your sales rep!
N°1 wine in Italy, according to sales, source Iri, year ending December 2020, based on packaged goods, total wine by volume sold at grocery self service store > 100 SqM