In making the announcement, at least Campari didn’t babble about giving access to the best, most creative talent. Instead, Jean Jacques Dubau, Managing Director, Business Unit North America, Campari Group, was quite direct:
“This move will allow us to be closer to our worldwide headquarters in Milan; closer to our production facilities in Kentucky; better connected to our Jamaica, Mexico, and Canada operations; and closer to our key distributor partners in the US. Our new office will also place us squarely in the epicenter for the American creative and spirits industries.”
“We are at an exciting evolutionary stage of our business here in the US, where big, bold thinking will fuel our continued growth in this territory,” said Dubau. “This move will help to increase collaboration with key business partners and our Milan counterparts; allow us to more easily hire candidates with deep spirits experience; and give us the room to expand as we grow our portfolio of premium brands.”
San Francisco has served as the original home for Campari America since 1992, the year of Skyy Vodka’s invention. The explosive success of Skyy would fuel the birth of Skyy Spirits, which occupied a small office in a Victorian on Van Ness Avenue. The company was purchased by Campari Group (then Gruppo Campari) in 2002. As the business grew, Skyy Spirits moved to Fisherman’s Wharf in 2003 and was rechristened Campari America in 2012. Levi’s Plaza has served as the company’s home since 2013.
Campari America will occupy two floors of the iconic Grace Building, owned by Brookfield Property Partners, located next to Bryant Park at 1114 6th Avenue at 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan. The offices will accommodate the entire 165-member U.S. team, including marketing, trade marketing, finance, accounting, legal, human resources, product supply chain, IT, and sales operations. Field sales teams will not be affected.