Young’s Market Company (YMCo) history, company profile (overview) and corporate video
Young’s Market Company is an alcoholic beverages distributor headquartered in Tustin, California, United States. It is a distributor of fine wine, spirits and select beverages in the western United States.
HISTORY
Young’s Market Company was founded in 1888 and is one of the oldest continuously operating companies in the United States.
Initially, the company was engaged in the retail grocery trade and was one of the nation’s first chain markets, owning and operating 60 neighborhood stores in Southern California at its peak in 1937.
In 1940, Young’s discontinued its retail operations and engaged exclusively in the wholesale distribution of wine, spirits, meat, seafood and gourmet items.
In 1963, Vernon O. Underwood Sr. was named President of Young’s.
In 1964, the company acquired two established wholesale distributors in Hawaii and commenced doing business there as “Better Brands”.
In 1975, Vernon O. Underwood Sr. was named Chairman of Young’s Market Company and his son, Vernon O. Underwood Jr., was elected President of Young’s.
In the mid-1980s, Young’s acquired two wine and spirit wholesale distributors in Northern California, Rathjen Wines and Spirits and Berberian Brothers, Inc., to become the first statewide wholesale distributor of alcoholic beverages in the state of California.
In 1990, the Underwood family acquired all of the shares of stock in the company that they did not then already own. Shortly thereafter, Young’s discontinued its distribution of meat, seafood and gourmet items so that it could focus entirely on the growing business of beverage distribution.
In 1997, Young’s Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Young’s Market Company, purchased Wilson Daniels, Ltd., an importer and marketer of fine wines and spirits headquartered in St. Helena, California.
In 1999, Holdings acquired a majority interest in K&L Beverage Company, a distributor of wine and spirits in Alaska, and a broker of wine and spirits in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Montana.
In 2002, Holdings acquired 50% interest in Young’s-Columbia of Oregon and Young’s-Columbia of Washington, wholesale distributors of wine in those respective states.
In 2005, Holdings formed Young’s Market Company of Arizona, LLC, a wine and spirits distributor in Arizona, and commenced operations in that state.
In 2007, Christopher Underwood was named Chief Operating Officer of Young’s Market Company.
In 2008, Young’s Market Company acquired 75% of Hayden Beverage in Idaho. It will now be known as Young’s-Hayden of Idaho.
In 2011, Young’s Market Company acquired 100% interest in Young’s-Columbia of Oregon, LLC and Young’s-Columbia of Washington, LLC.
With more than 3,000 employees, Young’s Market Company is considered one of the largest wholesalers and distributors of beer, wine, and distilled spirits in the United States. According to Forbes, it is considered one of the Largest Public Companies in the World.
*Information from Forbes.com and youngsmarket.ca.
**Video published on Youtube.com by “Young’s Market Company“