OUR HISTORY

1933

Established by Walter S. Berry at the end of prohibition, later led by Jack & Bud Berry

1984
Collage featuring vintage photos of the original Imperial Beverage.

Purchased by Joseph A. Cekola (Big Joe) from Scope Investment Company, once owned by William John Upjohn

1994
A collage featuring one vintage photo of the Cekola family as well as a cut-out of Joe Cekola and Larry Cekola gesturing to the right.

Joe Cekola, son of Big Joe, takes the reins of the growing company

1995

Imperial moves to a new facility on Manchester Road in Kalamazoo

2000

Elite Brands of Michigan becomes part of the business with Bradford & Gerry Hammerschmidt, expanding the delivery area to statewide

2005

Imperial acquires Craft Distributing

2009

Further acquisitions grow our portfolio (Estate Wine & Spirits, Leone Imports, South End Beverage)

2010

Imperial is awarded Craft Beer Distributor of the Year by the Brewer’s Association. Read the MLive article.

2012
A collage featuring a newspaper with the headline "Imperial Beverage to move, expand." A photo of the Imperial Beverage Kalamazoo Warehouse is layered on top of it.
Imperial moves their Kalamazoo warehouse to a new facility on Emerald Drive. The main 276,000 square foot location with an additional 200,000 square feet available ensures room for growth for years to come.
2015
Imperial relocates our Southeast facility from Plymouth to a 25,000 square foot warehouse and office building in Livonia.
2017
Imperial obtains an ADA certification and begins distributing spirits statewide
2018
Imperial purchases Bayside Beverage in Ishpeming, adding an 18,000 square foot warehouse in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
2023
A collage featuring a photo of the Imperial Beverage Livonia Warehouse and the Cekolas cutting a large red ribbon.
Imperial builds a new 10,000 square foot warehouse and office facility in Traverse City. Read about it here.
2025
Imperial acquires Oath Distributing and the fine wine division of Carmela Foods Distributing Inc., expanding our N/A, craft, and wine portfolios.