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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:
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