Say hello to Tim Coleman, world traveler, and beer aficionado. Coleman moved from the United Kingdom 20 years ago where he joined the TBS team in 2006 as a beer broker. Tim insists he’s not the one with the accent. To learn more about Tim Coleman, read our Q & A below.
How long have you been working for TBS?
I was hired as a beer broker in July 2006 when Weihenstephan and Greene King were the only 2 beer brands we had. I started as a full-time employee on March 1st, 2015.
What is your title?
My title is Beer Market Manager: MA, RI, VT, NH, ME
And what do you do in that role?
Act as liaison between TBS and 18 beer distributors across 5 states. I spend lots of time calling accounts and doing promotional events and tastings, with just as much time dealing with the administrative side of distributor orders, customer special requests and keeping the finances in order.
What is a day at TBS like in your shoes?
The “routine” is that there is no routine, with plans often changing on the fly. I work alone almost all the time, so I do enjoy getting together with the (constantly-evolving) TBS group in my corner of the country. It was eye-opening at a recent North East Regional Meeting where there were twice as many people in the room as there had been at my first “National Sales Meeting” in 2006.
Things I’ve done which were not in the job description:
- Tour Guide: taking numerous suppliers on driving tours of Boston and the Newport Mansions
- Electrician: Wire plugs onto lighted signs that arrived with bare wires
- Actor: Keeping a straight face at a Weihenstephan beer tasting in Burlington VT, upon being asked, (after I’d said that Weihenstephan was the world’s oldest brewery,) “Is it from Vermont?”
Tell us a little about yourself:
My accent is a giveaway (although I tell people that I’m the only one without an accent): I was born in the UK, just outside London and moved to the Boston area almost 20 years ago. US Citizenship is in the works – when you’ve been dating someone for 20 years, it’s time to put a ring on the finger. I live with Alex, my wife of 17 years, and two daughters Zoe (14) and Mia (11).
Update: Tim is now an official US Citizen! Congratulations Tim!
Favorite drink?
Not just what, but where and when too: A Hefe Weizen, outside in a beer garden, on a warm late summer afternoon. Tough to beat that.
What do you like best about working at TBS?
Pitching “Best in Class” beers to discerning consumers and making folks realize that there is a place for tradition alongside all the local offerings. That, and having a garage full of samples to do periodic quality control checks on.
What is one thing at work you can’t do without?
GPS – I would literally be lost without it.
Favorite place to travel?
No TBS trips yet (hint, hint) but have been working my way through the “Top 10 Cities Of The World You Have To Visit Before You Die” list: already checked off are London, Paris, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Jerusalem, Cairo, Hong Kong & Sydney. Only Tokyo and Des Moines to go.
Describe your perfect meal:
My wife’s home-made burgers cooked on the grill at home. No need to go to a restaurant if those are on offer.
Any charity near and dear to your heart?
I’ve raised money doing sponsored walks and runs in the past for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, not, fortunately, because I know anyone that suffers from it, but because a friend of mine fund-raises for them and told me about the work the CFF does.
If you could have one super power, which would you choose?
As Cher once said, “If I could turn back time”. Not sure that I would have done a whole lot differently, although probably would have listened more attentively to the war stories of the older generations.
Best advice you ever received?
“Happy Wife, Happy Life.”
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