Barton Brands, Now a Major Supplier, Charts a Bold Course for the Future

--THE COMPANY'S MISSION & STRATEGY

Having established itself within the top ranks of distilled spirits suppliers, Barton Brands, Ltd. is positioned for continued growth as it pursues an ambitious strategic plan to increase market share and enhance profitability.

Currently the fourth-largest distilled spirits marketer in the U.S., Barton has an extensive, broad-based portfolio of price/value and niche-market brands that appeals to a wide range of consumer tastes and meets the needs of retailers and distributors.

Over the past 12 years, distilled spirits consumption has decreased markedly and many once powerful suppliers have retrenched. Barton, however, has continued to grow its business through strategic acquisitions and internal brand development.

In 1995 Barton dramatically strengthened its overall market position with the purchase of a significant group of high-volume brands from United Distillers Glenmore. At the same time, through intensive sales and marketing initiatives, it has realized extraordinary growth for several of its existing core brands.

--THE 4TH-LARGEST DISTILLED SPIRITS SUPPLIER

Barton Brands today has products in virtually every major category of distilled spirits, markets 15 of the top 100 spirits brands and is the fourth-largest supplier of distilled spirits in the U.S.

2nd-Largest Vodka and Tequila Supplier
With well-known brands including Barton, Crystal Palace, Fleischmann's, Skol, Mr. Boston and Glenmore, Barton is the second-largest vodka supplier in the U.S. Barton markets more than 3.5 million cases of vodka a year.

Similarly, in the rapidly expanding tequila category, Barton is the second-biggest supplier with more than 550,000 cases a year. Barton markets Montezuma (the category's second-largest seller), El Toro, Capitan and Garduno tequilas. It also markets Monte Alban, the #1-selling mezcal in the U.S.

Leading Brands, Leading Categories
Barton is a major supplier of Canadian whisky (Canadian LTD, Northern Light) and gin (Fleischmann's, Barton) with more than one million cases a year in each category.

The Barton portfolio consists of popular brands such as Ten High bourbon, di Amore liqueurs, Inver House Scotch, Mr. Boston brandies, schnapps and liqueurs and Chi-Chi's prepared drinks.

Top-Quality Niche Brands
Barton successfully markets several high-quality niche brands. Among them are Speyburn single malt Scotch and Heather Cream, the only single malt Scotch-based cream in the U.S.

Growth Brands and Opportunities
Over the past decade, Barton has been able to grow many of its established brands despite declining consumption. Ten High Bourbon, Lauder's Scotch, Monte Alban Mezcal and Barton Vodka have all experienced growth in a difficult business environment.

Barton is also keeping pace with changing consumer preferences by developing exciting new products to appeal to a variety of tastes, price points and market segments.

--BARTON'S MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY

Barton Brands is widely recognized throughout the beverage alcohol industry as one of the most efficient, aggressive and well-managed companies in the business. Barton has flourished in a rapidly-changing environment with impressive growth over the past decade.

Barton believes in teamwork for success and employs a seasoned group of experienced industry professionals to run its business. These long-serving key executives are responsible for developing and implementing plans to drive the company's business forward. They are dedicated to achieving the company's immediate objectives and its long-range goals.

Barton's philosophy is to invest for long-term growth. The company is also known for its cost-conscious operations. It has one of the best computerized management information systems in the industry which enables it to carefully monitor sales and inventories while also better serving its customers with timely and actionable information.

A Salute to Our Selling Partners

--THE VALUE OF ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS

Barton Brands believes in the three-tier system. More important, the company believes in its selling partners and values the stable, long-term, mutually beneficial relationships it maintains with wholesalers and retailers throughout the country.

Barton has a network of approximately 250 distributors throughout the U.S. and most of these wholesalers have represented the company for more than 30 years.

Barton's network includes some of the country's oldest and very largest distributors. But large or small, Barton recognizes the critical role distributors play in its business. The company relies on them, and appreciates their enthusiastic support of its brands.

Similarly, as the breadth and depth of its portfolio has expanded, Barton has become an increasingly important partner for distributors everywhere. As the company continues to successfully move ahead, it looks forward to building on its long-standing relationships and developing powerful new partnerships in the years to come.