A look at Pine State’s state-of-the-art warehouse in Gardiner, built in 2003.
Family owned and operated since 1941, Pine State Trading Co. is New England's leader in the marketing and distribution of convenience and beverage products. Pine State Trading has made three divisions: Pine State Beverage Co., Convenience Store Division and Pine State Vending. Pine State Beverage Co. was created in 1952 when Fred Miller introduced the beer brand Miller High Life to Maine. Over the next fifty plus years, Pine State has built its portfolio and now represents most of the largest beer and wine producers in the world. Pine State also warehouses and delivers 100% of all the spirit based products in Maine.
Charles F. Canning founded Pine State Trading Co. in 1941, with one distribution location, a garage in Augusta, Maine. Today, the third generation business is made up of 10 facilities, with over 700 employees servicing over 5,000 customers. Through the years, the business responsibilities and ownership were passed down to Mr. Canning’s sons, Charlie and Jack, who have since transitioned the ownership and leadership to third generation family members Gena Canning, Keith Canning and Nick Alberding.
In its first year, Pine State Beverage Co.’s "Malt Beverage Division" sold just a handful of products, but over the years the division has grown and now sells over 4,000 items. In 1971, Pine State expanded and created a separate wine division that is currently the largest seller of wine in Maine, serving 15 of the state's 16 counties.
In 1974, a new beverage warehouse was built on Ellis Ave. in Augusta, which had been Pine State Trading Co.'s home since moving from Maple Street in Augusta in 1966. Pine State's distribution center continued to expand with an addition in 1988, a purchase of a distribution center in Bangor in 1990 and another 80,000 square ft. addition in Augusta in 1998. In the late 1997, Pine State expanded its wine distribution to include the state of New Hampshire.
In 2003, as business continued to grow, Pine State built a dedicated, 166,000 square foot, state-of-the-art beverage distribution center in the Libby Hill Business Park in Gardiner. Between the Gardiner facility and a 30,000 square foot distribution center in Bangor, Pine State supports the beverage demands of all its customers in Maine and New Hampshire.
Beer Division
Pine State's Beer Division consists of a sales force and management team with over 200 combined years of experience that cover a wide variety of retail and on-sale businesses, offering customers a variety of over 800 different sku's. The company's beer portfolio is extremely diverse and includes major domestic items, Imports, and Craft brews. Pine State Beverage is the only distributor in the state that represents every Maine brewery.
Wine Division
Pine State's Wine Division sells over 3,500 wine items to all customers throughout Maine and New Hampshire. The wine division represents portfolios from the largest wine producers in the world, importing from every wine producing country. The company's experienced and knowledgeable team services all types of accounts from supermarkets to convenience stores to fine wine retail to restaurants and bars. Pine State's distribution center in Gardiner features a sophisticated 1,000 square foot tasting room which is used for education and training. The room is open to all of Pine State's customers and suppliers and remains busy on a regular basis. It's cork floor, oak table with ivory inlay, individual sinks built into the table for rinsing glasses, leather chairs, and a fully operational kitchen make it one of the best wine tasting rooms in the country.
Going Green
Pine State’s distribution center in Gardiner is one of the most state-of-the-art facilities in the Northeast. The company uses energy efficient technology including Voice-pick software, a radio frequency put-away system, eco-friendly lighting and motion detectors to reduce energy costs. The facility is also completely paperless, saving an estimated 8,000 pounds of paper each year. Additionally, the company installed GPS systems on delivery trucks to track driver idling time and speed, allowing management to address fuel usage and control consumption and costs.
During the summer months, the facility also works with the Central Maine Power Company during peak times to go "off grid", which takes pressure off CMP’s power grid at critical times.
Giving Back
As an active member of Kennebec County, Pine State makes numerous charitable donations throughout the year. Some of the largest beneficiaries include the YMCA of Augusta, The United Way of Kennebec County, Johnson Hall Performing Arts Center, Rockland's Blues Festival, and the Center for Grieving Children. The company also actively participates in the fight against cancer with contributions to the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care and sponsors many fundraisers throughout the state such as the Tri for a Cure Triathlon.
Today, Pine State Beverage Co. consists of over 280 employees committed to servicing each of their customer's retail and on-premise needs. With a dedicated sales team and professional marketing department, the company takes pride in servicing every facet of the wholesale beverage business. Employee loyalty has a huge hand in the success of Pine State. More than half the employees have been working at the company for more than 10 years. With a strong commitment to superior customer service, Pine State Beverage continues to create good jobs and support the local economy and community.
