Mike Kohlfeld - a career in beer

Southeast Missourian

Mike Kohlfeld is a beer man in a family of beer men.

To him, being president of Kohlfeld Distributing in Jackson is more than a job, it's his heritage, which has flowed through his family's veins since his father, Leo A. Kohlfeld, began working at a Stag wholesaler in 1948.

"Dad was tireless," Kohlfeld said. "He worked around the clock. He still is the best beer man I've ever known."

Some of that knowledge must have rubbed off on Mike Kohlfeld, who in 2002 received the Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. Award, the highest honors the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce bestows on one area business person each year.

The late Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. was a practicing attorney in Cape Girardeau for more than 75 years and was the award's first recipient. The chamber established the award in 1989 to recognize exceptional effort on behalf of the community over an extended time.

David Limbaugh, a grandson of Rush H. Limbaugh Sr., presented the award to Kohlfeld, whom he described as "the nicest of all the nice guys."

But the award is given for more than affability or even business acumen. Kohlfeld has a lengthy list of community involvement, too, including his service as a board member at Southeast Missouri Hospital, the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Commission, Southeast's Copper Dome Society, the American Cancer Society, Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, Community Counseling Center and Girl Scout Council.

Learning the beer business and a sense of community responsibility go back to his family, Kohlfeld said.

"That's why, when I accepted the award, I accepted it on behalf of my family," he said.

In 1994, Kohlfeld became president of the company, and his brother, Mark, is now vice president of sales. Leo Kohlfeld is retired but still comes into the office daily.

"It's very much a family business," Mike Kohlfeld said.

Kohlfeld distributes popular beers like Coors, Stag, Stroh's, Corona, Heineken and Sam Adams -- in fact, more than 100 beers from 15 different suppliers. The company also distributes some nonalcoholic drinks, including the chocolate-flavored Yoohoo.

Beer truly is in the Kohlfelds' veins. Leo A. Kohlfeld went to work for William B. Schott's wholesale Stag distributorship in Cape Girardeau in 1948. He worked his way up to manager by 1953. By 1957 they had outgrown the facility.

When there was a disagreement with management about the need for more space, Leo Kohlfeld borrowed money himself and built a warehouse, which he leased back to the distributor.

"Not many people would do that," Mike Kohlfeld said.

In 1968, Leo Kohlfeld bought the distributorship, which exclusively distributed Stag, mostly to area bars, but also elsewhere. When Mike turned 16, he went to work for his father, doing cleaning and clerical work.

"It almost happened by osmosis," the younger said. "The work was there, and I did it."

While attending Southeast Missouri State University, Kohlfeld became sales manager as the company systematically began to acquire other distributorships. As new beers were being introduced to the market, Kohlfeld acquired the rights to distribute those beers to bars and other retail outlets.

Now, Kohlfeld distributes beer to all or part of 20 counties in Southeast Missouri.

"Business has tripled since the 1970s," he said.

There have been some changes over the years. For example, 20 years ago, Kohlfeld Distributing added non-alcoholic beverages to its offerings.

"We knew we'd need to diversify away from strictly selling alcohol," Kohlfeld said. "There were some health-conscious beverages out there, and we wanted to get involved with that."

But the biggest change in the beer business lies in where the company distributes beer. In years past, most people drank beer in bars, Kohlfeld said. But with the lowering of the legal blood-alcohol limit for driving, people are now choosing to drink more and more at home.

Twenty years ago, 70 percent of the beer was distributed to bars, and the rest went elsewhere. Now, probably 20 percent of the beer goes to bars and private clubs.

"Young adults still go to bars," Kohlfeld said. "But a lot more people are drinking at home."

What the Kohlfeld family has done is more remarkable because of the company's proximity to St. Louis, home to Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewer. Anheuser-Busch has a great deal of influence, especially around its base of operations, Kohlfeld said.

"Considering what my father built is right in Anheuser-Busch's back yard, it's a big deal. He built a very nice business in an extremely competitive environment."

The company is positioned well for the future, Kohlfeld said, while adding that the industry needs to continue to battle "neo-prohibitionists" who maintain that any amount of beer consumption is irresponsible.

"Our one fear is that we'll be painted with that drug brush," he said. "But beer has always been the choice of a moderate society."

He said the industry has to continue to encourage people to drink responsibly and if they drink, don't drive.

"But a beer or two a day is probably healthy," said Kohlfeld, who admitted he enjoys his own product.

He also plans to stay involved in the community that has given him so much.

"So many people did so many things so that I could enjoy this wonderful community," he said. "I figured it was time for somebody else to pick up the baton and run with it."

smoyers@semissourian.com