The Bardstown Bourbon Company Announces the Appointment of John J. Mack to Its Board of Directors

The Largest New Distillery in America Adds Accomplished Financial Leader to its Team

The Bardstown Bourbon Company, the largest new distillery in America, announced today the appointment of John J. Mack, the former Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley, to its Board of Directors. (Photo: Business Wire)

BARDSTOWN, Ky.--()--The Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo), the largest new distillery in America, announced today the appointment of John J. Mack to its Board of Directors. Mr. Mack is the former Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley, having served in those roles from 2005 to 2011.

“The Bardstown Bourbon Company is honored to have John Mack join the Board,” said Peter Loftin, Chairman of BBCo. “John is an extremely accomplished business leader and an experienced board member in both the public and non-profit sectors. We are confident that BBCo will greatly benefit from his judgment, insights, and counsel.”

Mr. Mack currently serves as Chairman of Lantern Credit and is also on the Board of Glencore International AG, Lending Club, Bloomberg Family Foundation and Tri Alpha Energy. In addition, he serves on the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the University Hospital of both Columbia and Cornell.

Mr. Mack’s appointment expands The BBCo Board to four directors, including Peter Loftin, Founder and Chairman of BBCo, David Mandell, Founder and President & CEO of BBCo, and Jeff Hopmayer, Managing Partner of the Brindiamo Group.

Due to the success of The BBCo Collaborative Distilling Program and massive demand for custom, authentic, Kentucky whiskey products, the company recently expanded the distillery to its current 3 million proof gallon capacity. The footprint can ultimately be expanded to more than six million proof gallons within the current design, by adding additional equipment.

ABOUT THE BARDSTOWN BOURBON COMPANY

The Bardstown Bourbon Company is a celebration of the art of making whiskey. No secrets, mythical stories, or fabricated legends, The Bardstown Bourbon Company celebrates the craft of making great whiskey and the Bardstown community that brings bourbon to the world.

The Company is developing a destination experience with a first-of-its-kind Napa Valley style campus featuring a state-of-the-art whiskey distillery, unique and transparent educational experience, integrated visitors center, event space, and whiskey library, bar, and restaurant.

To learn more about The Bardstown Bourbon Company visit:

www.bardstownbourbon.com
www.facebook.com/bardstownbourboncompany
www.twitter.com/btownbourbon

BIOS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BBCo BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeff Hopmayer, Managing Partner, The Brindiamo Group

Jeff Hopmayer’s entire career has been about the entrepreneurial spirit while building companies and brands – first as the creator and president of Original American Scones, then as the founder and president of an adult beverage company, and then as the public company CEO in London, England and a California winery owner. Today at 54 years old, he is the Managing Partner of Brindiamo Group, a leading beverage consultancy group headquartered in Nashville, TN.

Hopmayer believes in the power of giving back. He has been actively involved in Meals on Wheels in Chicago where his family received the Life Time Achievement Award, the Mansfield Foundation, which supports social justice causes. He is a past recipient of the Ammi Hyde Award for Young Alumni Achievement from the University of Denver. In the past, Hopmayer extended his charitable giving to the corporate side where he was involved with many causes including preserving the aquatic coastline of California, supporting AIDS research and working with the American Cancer Society, the Junior League, the American Diabetes Organization, Boys and Girls Clubs, Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, and the Rape and Sexual Abuse Center.

Hopmayer remains on several private company boards including SPI Group (Stoli), Boston Harbor Distilling and others.

Originally schooled in hotel management at the University of Denver, where he got his BSBA degree, Hopmayer resides in Nashville, Tenn.

Peter Loftin, Founding Member and Chairman, The Bardstown Bourbon Company

Peter Loftin is a founding member and Chairman of The Bardstown Bourbon Company. Before entering the spirits business, Mr. Loftin made his mark in the telecommunications industry after the Bell telephone monopoly break up. In 1983, he founded and led Raleigh, NC based Business Telecom Inc. (BTI) to the successful expansion of the corporation to one of the nation’s top telecommunications companies as well as the largest private employer in the city of Raleigh, NC.

Business North Carolina Magazine named Mr. Loftin “North Carolina Entrepreneur of the Year”. In addition, NCEITA, the North Carolina Electronics and Information Technologies Association, awarded Mr. Loftin and BTI the “Corporate Citizen of the Year Award” for generously providing free Internet services to the disabled in rural schools throughout North Carolina. In 1999, independent research group New Paradigm Resources ranked Mr. Loftin’s company, BTI seventh nationally among competitive local exchange carriers with approximately $400 million in annual revenues.

During Mr. Loftin’s tenure at BTI, he successfully completed a $250 million high yield bond issue as well as the sale of an additional $200 million of BTI stock to a private equity firm. Mr. Loftin served as Chairman of the Board of BTI whose board members consisted of such prestigious businessmen as Paul J. Rizzo, former Vice-Chairman of IBM and the former Dean of the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Peter Loftin served on numerous Boards, including the National Board of Governors of the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., The American Lung Association, Board of Visitors of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC – Chapel Hill, the Advisory Board of the Duke Heart Center at Duke University Medical Center, Board of Directors of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, and the Council for Entrepreneurial Development. He was also a Founding contributor and Board Member of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science.

Mr. Loftin is also a major contributor to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, which provides a unique educational experience on United States history and basic core values through the preservation interpretation and recognition of U.S. Army airborne and special operations history, equipment, technology, legend, art and weaponry. Mr. Loftin also serves on the Board of the Miami Beach Police Athletic League.

John J. Mack

John J. Mack is a Senior Advisor of Morgan Stanley. He retired as Chairman of the Board of Morgan Stanley at the end of 2011 and also served as Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Stanley from June 2005 until December 2009.

Before rejoining Morgan Stanley as Chairman and CEO in June 2005, Mr. Mack served as Co- Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Group and Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse First Boston.

Mr. Mack is a graduate of Duke University. He serves as Chairman of Lantern Credit and on the Board of Tri Alpha Energy, a Board Member of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, Glencore International AG, and Lending Club. In addition, Mr. Mack serves on the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the University Hospital of both Columbia and Cornell.

David Mandell, Founding Member and President & CEO, The Bardstown Bourbon Company

David Mandell is the President & CEO and founding member of The Bardstown Bourbon Company, where he responsible for creating and managing the development of the company’s $25 million Napa-valley bourbon distillery destination experience in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Prior to founding and leading The Bardstown Bourbon Company, David was in both the beverage alcohol and the aerospace and defense industries. David was the founder, President & CEO of The p.i.n.k. Spirits Company, where he developed, created, and launched the first line of ultra-premium spirits infused with caffeine and guarana. David and his team built an organization of 27 full-time employees, achieved distribution in 44 states and five international markets, sold over 75,000 4.5 L cases of p.i.n.k. vodka in 3 years. The Company was awarded the prestigious “Rising Star Growth Brand” Award from the Beverage Information Group in 2008 and 2009 and was named “Top 50 Spirits” and one of the “12 Most Fascinating Vodkas” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The p.i.n.k. Spirits Company was successfully sold in May 2009.

Prior to founding p.i.n.k., David was the Chief of Staff to Administrator, Marion C. Blakey, of the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) in Washington, DC. In this role, David was responsible for assisting the Administrator in the day-to-day management of the Federal Aviation Administration - - a 50,000-person organization, with a 14-billion-dollar budget. He was a key advisor to the Administrator on all policy, press, legal, and management issues and helped lead the development and execution of the first five-year strategic business plan for the agency that tied organizational goals to employees’ pay. Before joining the FAA, David was Counsel to the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board and a corporate litigator at the law firm of Blank Rome in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Contacts

Ro-Bro Marketing & PR
Aaron Brost
312.576.5315
aaron@ro-bro.com
or
Joe Stark
440.465.3143
joe@ro-bro.com

Release Summary

The Bardstown Bourbon Company announced the appointment of John J. Mack, the former Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley, to its Board of Directors.

Contacts

Ro-Bro Marketing & PR
Aaron Brost
312.576.5315
aaron@ro-bro.com
or
Joe Stark
440.465.3143
joe@ro-bro.com