Thomas Caestecker Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il

Represent a portfolio driven by small-production Mediterranean and Argentinian wines, with strong emphasis on both high-demand and boutique retail and restaurant placements for three counties in the north-suburban Chicago area. Work closely with clients to enhance marketing via merchandising, frequent product demonstrations, and industry market trends.Provide value-added communications, publicizing represented wine brands and customers with articles posted on Medium, plus social media messaging.Sales have increased steadily since May, 2020, with a 12% increase from that date through December, 2021, and an additional 16% increase from December, 2021, through December, 2022.

Greater Chicago Area

Chicago-based wine and spirits journalist, providing prestigious, fast-growing national beverage publication with Chicago (and Midwest) coverage of industry news, plus features on cutting-edge personalities and properties.

Chicago, Il

Represent a portfolio driven by small-production Mediterranean and New Zealand wines, with strong emphasis on boutique retail and restaurant placements in the Chicago metro area. Work closely with clients to enhance marketing via merchandising, product demonstrations, wine-pairing dinners and community outreach.Provide value-added communications, publicizing represented wine brands and customers with articles posted on Medium, plus social media messaging.Sales have increased steadily in 2nd Quarter of 2017, compared with both 1st Quarter 2017, and with 2nd Quarter 2016.

Greater Chicago Area

* Senior Account Manager for sommelier-driven, Chicago-based wine & spirits importer and distributor of highly sought-after domestic and international wines -- the quintessential boutique portfolio in the metro area. Brands include highly-sought-after, small-case-production wines such as Thomas Fogarty Vineyards, Grassini Family Vineyards and Girard Fiou Sancerre.* Responsible for sales and category management, consistently developing many relationships and accounts in the Chicago metro area. Prestigious placements include Fairmont Millennium Park, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Treasure Island Food Stores, David Burke's Primehouse at the James Hotel, Bistro Bordeaux, Quince Restaurant in Evanston, Schaefer's Wines in Skokie, Little Ricky's in Winnetka and The Noble Grape in West Town.*Between June 16, 2014 and June 15, 2015, produced 600 sales orders out of 915 total sales orders generated by Elevage during the same time period.* Continually build and nurture key relationships with wine professionals, restaurateurs and off-premise accounts throughout the region. Value-added publicity includes periodic coverage in Examiner wine columns, Tasting Panel and Somm Journal feature articles and Twitter placements.

Greater Chicago Area

*Write weekly column that highlights the best value wines available in the Chicago metro area. Enhance Web page traffic growth for Examiner.com, Clarity Digital Media Group, LLC, and its parent, Reuters.*Continually build crucial relationships with influential wine directors, restaurateurs, retailers, distributors and P.R. firms throughout the food & beverage industry. *Have amassed more than 180 articles, providing advertisers with a consistent forum to access repeat readers.*During 3rd & 4th Quarter of 2011, exceeded by 8-9 times the average page views of Examiner's Chicago edition.*Selected as Columnist of the Week by Examiner.com for the week of July 4-10, 2010. Highlighted on Examiner's front page by national editors for "exceptionally well-written articles" on monthly basis.

Lake Bluff, Il

* Drafted compelling content for company president’s two monthly electronic messages, showcasing top-rated wines.* Assembled cumulative 2-year Excel spreadsheets, documenting the rating performance of Terlato's portfolio in the trade press, and distribute to Sales and Marketing teams.* Wrote press releases and internal communication messages.

Lake Bluff, Il

* Managed content and design of two key Point-of-Sale (POS) brochures, distributed to internal and external salespeople. * Drafted compelling content for company president's two monthly electronic messages, which showcased top-rated wines.* Managed the company's internal database of 12,000-plus media hits, covering its 50-plus brands. * Identified media hits in relation to performance goals set for members of the PR team, and their impact on the brand and company. Each subsequent POS initiative or targeted electronic message resulted in an average sales increase of 5% for specified company products.

Spearheaded the editorial mission for consumer-oriented healthcare publication, Chicago Health Magazine. Provided consumers with a wellness resource that focused on a non-clinical format and appealed to a large audience.

Project managed editorial process for two monthly boating magazines and wrote compelling cover stories. Marketing efforts involved contacting advertisers to contribute editorial copy and quotes for articles, providing sales staff with valuable leverage in obtaining advertising revenue.

Ensured overall editorial integrity for an assortment of commemorative and specialty magazines for the newsstand. More than 75% of one-off publications achieved 100% sell-through. Worked closely with important clients on licensed offerings. Multi-tasked as writer, content editor and photo editor.

Wrote, edited and proofed feature articles and product profiles for the trade journal Custom Woodworking Business. Personally called on company principals, demonstrating the efficacy of the journal as an advertising venue.

Certification, Integrated Marketing

Master Of Arts, History

Activities and Societies: Phi Alpha Theta Honors' Society - Inducted 1994. Thesis was an exhaustive account of Illinois' disparate.

Bachelor Of Arts, Communications

Activities and Societies: School Newspaper Columnist and Feature Writer, 1989-1991 Blues/jazz radio host on 105.9 WTOH-FM (Mobile), 1989.