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Cone
Distributing
Coors Brewing Company had just come to Florida under this distributorship . While I secured permission from every other supplier , unfortunately , Coors was not keen based on my age and lack of experience .”
While many would be dejected , Doug was not to be defeated . He discovered who the best in the business was and approached the Golden Distributing Company in Wichita Falls , Texas , with the request to work for them for a while and learn the tricks of the trade . The move paid off . “ I spent eight weeks there ,” he continues , “ and when I left and returned to Tampa , unbeknown to me , Ray Clymer of Golden contacted Coors and based on his recommendation , Coors decided to reconsider my application for appointment . As such , I was awarded the distributorship .”
Fast forward to 2023 and Cone is proud to be recognized as one of Florida ’ s top 25 large companies to work for , for the fifth consecutive year . “ This is a testament to our culture ,” Doug enthuses . “ Management has no input into these awards ; they are driven by employees . It ’ s gratifying to win five years in a row as it demonstrates that we have a great culture and a great workplace . Our teammates believe in that culture , and in our vision and core values .”
Overcoming challenges
Reflecting on the past couple of years , Doug explains that Cone remained open as an essential business during the pandemic . “ We certainly implemented rigid protocols , but we never closed our doors . From 2020 through to 2023 , we experienced record years in the history of the company . They were desperately challenging times though and we unfortunately lost three employees to Covid ; navigating that internally was difficult .
“ Alongside that , because of our geographical location , our county increasingly became a hub for distribution . In the last few years , numerous well-known brands have
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