Here we are...
Our Mission is Partnership & Lifestyle
We live for this!
Connection. Cultivating Relationships. Building Memories. Living Experiences.
The Drake Luxury Group (DLG) concentrates on selected wines and spirit companies to represent to the National Account On Premise channel. With the national landscape continuously evolving, there is an opportunity to bring DLG’s many years of experience to selected clients in helping their brands be represented and marketed on a more personal and individual bases. Our experience and expertise includes distributor and national supplier sales and management, national account development, and national and regional off premise sales. As the firm grows, emphasis will be put on private label development, bulk wine and independent retail growth.
Pure & Simple
- We cultivate professional relationships between our client base and the companies we represent.
- We showcase & promote all beverage products and promotions from our suppliers to our clients.
- We maintain a consistent flow of information, pricing, products, and education from our suppliers to distributors to the clients.
Why Us?
- We have a combined 60 years of intimate knowledge of the wine business.
- We cultivate professional relationships between our client base.
- We showcase & promote all of our client’s wines, spirits, unique promotions, and their experiences in our monthly newsletter and trade events.
- We maintain a consistent flow of information, pricing, products, and education to our customers and distributors.
- We bring present and future customers to our clients’ properties and events.
- SALES are our focus.
Our Founder & CEO
Mark Edward Drake
With decades of experience in the distribution and supplier channel, Mark has expertise on both sides of the wine business. Working in the Washington DC and Virginia markets, his management and sales skills were focused on the on premise and independent retail sales.
Being on the supplier level, Mark's management responsibilities included being Vice President of Sales, National Accounts on premise, Bulk Sales, Private Label, Co-Labeled, Internet Business, and Fine Wine Retail.
The DLG group has created a national network that will help define us in sales and marketing, and establish a synergy between distributors and our clients throughout the US Market.
OUR DIRECTOR OF TRADE EVENTS
Michelle Idell Drake
With 20 years of experience of Project Management and as an Educator, Michelle is the queen of execution. She is a multitasker, high performer, and runs the show. She’s meticulous, understands troubleshooting, hospitality and social media. Building culture and connection is at her core.
Michelle is a graduate of Denison University and University of San Francisco where she received a masters degree. PS-She's Mark’s Wife :)
Our Director of New accounts
Zachary Drake
With more than 10 years of experience in the supplier channel, he has developed the expertise on account development and promotions.
Working in the beverage business for both alcohol and non-alcohol brands has helped Zack to understand the dynamics of the market. Graduate of University of Colorado of Boulder
Our business consultant & board member
Tom Drake
Result-oriented executive with leadership and operating experience in the corporate, advertising/public relations/marketing agency and trade association arenas. For two decades he held various key sales and marketing positions at Kellogg’s Company. He also served as President & CEO of two major national retail trade associations.
Tom holds an MBA degree in Marketing & Management from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois and completed the Executive Marketing Program at The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Our Marketing Manager
Kathy Drake
Kathy is a graduate of the University of Iowa and holds a masters degree in Education. She currently resides in Chicago, Illinois where she is an elementary school teacher.
She has a passion for writing and photography. These interests have helped her develop a skill set that maximizes her ability to generate engaging content across social media platforms.
OUR CHOCOLATIER CONSULT
Gloria Drake
Gloria Drake's experience includes expertise in event planning and cause-related marketing where she led teams as Vice President of Events and Fund Raising. Gloria and her staff ran a wide range of charitable events ranging from golf tournaments to black tie galas and wine & spirits tastings. She’s worked with several major hotel chains, airlines, top tier restaurants, celebrities and Fortune 500 companies.
Gloria's marketing and events career also includes the packaging industry. She worked on landmark beverage containers such as the development and launch 7-11’s Big Gulp while at Continental Can & Bondware as Director of Marketing.
She also oversaw programming at the National Restaurant Show along with many other national and international trade shows & events.
Gloria holds a BS from Western Illinois University and an MBA from Chicago’s Keller School of Management. She lives in the suburban Chicago area.
