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56 57 KARL H. MENZIES COMPANY LIMITED there wasn’t really a theme to the business; it wasn’t a strictly hardware business or a bever- age distribution business or a grocery business - it was a little bit of whatever could sell.” “My father handed over the business to me in 1999, and over the years, we have evolved,” Menzies continues. “That evolution has resulted in two divisions: the first division -The Beverage Division- is wines and spirits (we no longer rep- resent Heineken).We represent several wines (over 300 SKUs) from all over the world, quite a few spirits brands; and then, we have a second division -Surface Solutions- where we distribute paints and coatings for home, auto, and indus- trial purposes.” To be more precise, the company’s Beverage Division carries white and red wines, ports, champagne, spirits (vodka, gin, whiskey, and rum), liqueurs, and mixers, as well as bar tools and accessories. The Surface Solutions Division sells paints, paint accessories, adhesives, abra- sives, and auto and marine care products. “So, it’s two completely different divisions evolved from skills developed over the last forty-odd years,” explains Menzies. All products are sold wholesale, as well as to end-user consumers throughout the entire country. “We deal busi- ness to business, as well as business to con- sumer,” she adds. Menzies says that her company attempts to AT A GLANCE KARL H. MENZIES COMPANY LIMITED WHAT: A distributor of wines and spirits, and paints and coatings WHERE: Belize City, Belize WEBSITE: www.karlmenzies.com differentiate itself from its competitors by way of its quality products and its devotion to great customer service. “We have long relationships that go way back and we try to preserve those relationships, as well as to grow new ones. And that takes a fair amount of attention to detail,” she states. “Our business relationships tend to be very personal. There’s an interest in always working for all of us to grow together. And we focus on quality rath- er than price. If a product doesn’t meet with our standards, we simply will not carry it; it doesn’t matter if it’s the cheapest thing on the market. And our suppliers are companies that