Left to right: Steve Drucker, Vice Chairman (CSG); Charles Merinoff, CEO & Chairman (CSG); and E. Lloyd Sobel, President (Charmer Industries)

People generally associate wine production with Napa, Sonoma and Bordeaux. But when it comes to wine distribution, The Lincoln Building ought to come to mind. That's because it houses the corporate headquarters of The Charmer Sunbelt Group (CSG), one of the nation's largest distributors of wine and spirits.

The firm, ranked 100 on the Forbes 2006 list of America's Largest Private Companies, moved into The Lincoln Building in 1999, when it consolidated its New York and Baltimore offices into a New York headquarters. Since then, CSG has nearly quadrupled the size of its space in the building, expanding three times. Today, approximately 30 employees occupy 16,308 square feet on the 19th floor. These employees oversee the 18 affiliates of the 6,200-person, family-owned company, which operate in 15 states and the District of Columbia.

"We chose The Lincoln Building seven years ago because it met two key criteria - it was a prestigious building, and it was conveniently located," says Harry Masi, the firm's director of logistics. "It was important to us to be in the midst of the Grand Central District, but also close to Penn Station, where our employees from Baltimore arrive when they travel by train."

The choice was a good one, Mr. Masi continues. "We've always had a great relationship with building management. They're good people and they keep their promises. We're also impressed with the dramatic improvements the building has undergone in the past few years. Consequently, there was no question about renewing our lease, which we just did."

The employees of the New York office love the neighborhood, too. As Mr. Masi notes, "There are wonderful restaurants in the vicinity, plenty of banks, and it's a short walk to Rockefeller Center and Times Square."

The owners of The Charmer Sunbelt Group have been in the beverage alcohol distribution business for more than 60 years. Today, the company's suppliers include Diageo, Moet Hennessy, Brown-Forman, E&J Gallo, Future Brands, Beringer Blass, Constellation Brands, Robert Mondavi and Bacardi. Customers include grocery stores, department stores, membership clubs, convenience stores, restaurants, hotels, and specialty retailers. For more information, please see www.charmer-sunbelt.com.