Winery supplier sets up shop in Mac

Published: October 20, 2007

By YVETTE SAARINEN
of the News-Register

John Merritt and Jerry Brace hit the ground running in August, literally filling orders as they moved Frontier Packaging's new Oregon division into leased warehouse space off Rivergate Street in the McMinnville Industrial Park.

The two men are overseeing an operation aimed at supplying the wine and general beverage industries with glass containers and packaging and shipping products. It's a division of a Seattle company founded 22 years ago as a supplier of packaging for Alaska's fish industry.

The parent firm, launched by Joe Wenaweser, is so close-knit that the first, second and third employees he hired are all still working there. Annual sales are now in the neighborhood of $55 million.

Frontier recently entered into a partnership with Saga, an Oregon company with operations in Colton and Estacada, to supply the Oregon wine industry. Frontier aims to build on Saga's long-term customer relationships, while providing additional resources and products.

Wenaweser said the partnership gives Frontier a solid platform for expansion of its wine business.

"We expect that our expertise and services in niche distributing will benefit Saga customers in the future," he said. "We have been very impressed with Saga's history of servicing wineries in the region."

Merritt said it made sense to look for warehouse space in McMinnville, because it sits in the heart of Oregon wine county. The company is leasing 15,000 square feet in two different buildings from McMinnville Industrial Promotions.

Merritt and Brace are developing a display showcasing the 50 different kinds of bottles the company carries. Most are imported from Europe, the leading supplier being SaverGlass in France.

They include dusky, broad-shouldered Bordeaux, svelte Burgundy and petite, clear specialty bottles in styles that accommodate corks as well as screw-tops. The company supplies them in bulk form or in cases designed for bottling lines.

It's a very competitive market, Merritt said, but Frontier believes it has an edge in turn-around time and customer service.

Merritt and Brace said they were taken with McMinnville and are delighted to be here.

They are hoping to stage an open house in the spring. For more information, call Merritt at 971-237-5278 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it