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Beverage Distribution/Expert Profile
Expertise
Over 27 years experience, with 17 in international FMCG in back office operations and in field sales and data collection, including design, development and deployment of Handhelds, Marketing Equipment (Service, Tracking and Return on Investment), reporting and Vending management. Have participated on the launch of operations in new markets, and re-engineered the back office in several countries.
Experience in the area
Designed and led the development and deployment internal ERP system for Pepsi used in On-Premise/Vending in 13 markets. Designed 2 handheld systems, the latest is now deployed in 4 markets internationally. Re-engineered the back office functions (settlements, despatch, invoicing, credit control, etc) for over 20 snack, confectionary and beverage operators. Developing software: Progress, VB, Access, C, Sybase, SA
Organizations
Innovative-Selling Solutions
Publications
BudapestSun
Education/Credentials
State University of New York - BA Economics NYU - Courant - Graduate work - Computing
Past/Present Clients
PepsiAmericas PepsiCola International PepsiCola Company British Steel British Telecom Britvic (Pepsi's bottler in the UK) AT&T BellSouth Mars Overseas Bottling Pepsi France Matutano (Frito-Lay Spain) Frito-Lay Pepsi Foods International Chase Manhattan Bank Kidder Peabody National Power SmithKline Beecham Mars Overseas Bottling (Pepsi Azerbaijan) A&P Bottling (Pepsi Serbia & Montenegro) Iberia Bottlers (Pepsi Georgia)
What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?
I'm learning all the time about the different ways of doing business and applying best practices to new business cultures. Our teams are working in several countries: in the CIS, Central Europe, Middle East.
Average Ratings
Recent Reviews from Users
K = Knowledgeability C = Clarity of Response T = Timeliness P = Politeness| User | Date | K | C | T | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim | 11/05/09 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | Thanks for the response. I was under ..... |
| Judi Johnson | 10/29/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thank you, your response was precise and ..... |
| Tom | 10/22/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | I ended up meeting with a lawyer ..... |
| Tom | 10/10/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Dear Eric, Many apologies for the late ..... |
| Sandy | 09/18/09 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | Thank you Eric for your prompt reply ..... |
Recent Answers from Eric Hofer
2009-10-26 Distribution and Retail Mark Up:
Jim, Not an easy one to answer in a general way. In On-Premise (restaurants, etc.), pricing is at a premium and therefore, there's a lot of competition. Usually the ratio is 100% markup; and in
2009-10-12 Exclusive distribution agreements:
Tom, This is a bit out of my area of expertise. You need both a lawyer and a customs broker. Some points I do know... No expiry date can be a disadvantage; I think this could even be used to
2009-10-07 wine distributors:
Wines are generally stored in temperature controlled conditions to prevent damage. Product is managed through lots. Atmosphere (humidity) etc. also needs to be controlled. For manufacturers own
2009-09-28 Sales and Distribution:
I can help you to understand the roles of wholesalers and distributors. Ther terms "Agent" and "Brand Ambassador," to me, are not germane. An Agent acts a a representative for a deal, the closest I could
2009-09-22 How to get inventory:
Kevin, Usually before starting up, you would have identified suppliers, possible terms and modelled the costs and likely income for your business. What were your assumptions here? Approaching manufacturers
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