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Virginia ABC Fact Sheet

Address

  • Central Office, Virginia ABC
    2901 Hermitage Road
    P.O. Box 27491
    Richmond, VA 23261-7491
    (804) 213-4400 or Toll Free: (800) 552-3200

Website

Mission

  • To control the distribution of alcoholic beverages; operate efficient, conveniently located retail outlets; enforce the laws of the Commonwealth pertaining to alcoholic beverages and youth access to tobacco products; and provide excellent customer service, a reliable source of revenue, and effective public safety.

Milestones

  • In 2009 ABC celebrated its 75th anniversary.
  • ABC has contributed more than $1.5 billion to the commonwealth in the last five years.
  • Since its inception, ABC has contributed more than $6 billion to Virginia's General Fund.

Recent Awards

  • 2010 Most Innovative Program Award (Military Outreach Initiative, including Military Safe Rides Home program) National Liquor Law Enforcement Association.
  • 2009 SWaM Champion Award (40 percent increase in number of awarded transactions to SWaM businesses), Governor's 2009 SWaM Awards.
  • 2009 Best Practices Award (Military Outreach Initiative), National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA).
  • 2009 Special Recognition Award (Alcohol and Aging), NCSLA.
  • 2008 Recognition Award for Innovative Prevention Projects (Alcohol and Aging), The Virginia Department of Health.
  • 2008 Best Practices Award (Alcohol and Aging), NCSLA.
  • 2008 E2 Certification, Environmental Excellence Program, The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
  • 2005 U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award (SPQA) Certificate for Commitment to Performance Excellence.
  • 2004 U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award (SPQA) Certificate for Performance Excellence.
  • 2002 Innovative Liquor Law Enforcement Program of the Year, NLLEA, for an underage drinking enforcement and prevention program that implements an environmental approach.
  • 2002 Liquor Law Enforcement Agency of the Year, National Liquor Law Enforcement Association (NLLEA), for being one of the first law enforcement groups to arrive at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and to 14 special agents in particular, for serving as first responders.
  • 2001 Declaration of Valor, Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, for serving as "true and valiant Virginia heroes to all victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the Commonwealth of Virginia."
  • 2001 Commonwealth Valor, Virginia Public Safety Foundation, recognizing "uncommon valor and intrepidity of its personnel in response to the crash of highjacked American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon September 11, 2001."

Leadership

  • ABC Board: Chairman J. Neal Insley and Commissioner Sandra C. Canada. ABC Board members are appointed by the Governor, serve as administrative-law judges for appeal hearings and are full-time state employees.
  • ABC Executive Staff: W. Curtis Coleburn, III, Chief Operating Officer and Secretary to the Board; and J. Craig Vanderland, Chief Financial Officer.

Employees

  • ABC employs approximately 2,685 people statewide, including 1,000 classified personnel, 1,675 wage employees, and 11 contract employees.
  • ABC is a diverse employer. Approximately 1,000 minorities, (36% of ABC's workforce) including African Americans, Asians, Hispanics and American Indians, choose to work at ABC. In addition, more than 1,200 employees (45%) are women, and more than 1,600 employees (60%) are age 40 or older. The oldest ABC employee today is 85 years old, and working part-time in an ABC store.

Financial Reports/Sales

  • ABC completed fiscal year 2010 with a record $675.5 million in sales, an increase of 1.5 percent over fiscal year 2009.
  • In the agency's first fiscal year (1934), ABC stores grossed $12.8 million.

Stores and Products

  • ABC operates 336 stores statewide.
  • The most recent Customer and Stakeholder Survey (2009) indicates 93% of state store customers are very satisfied with the service they receive at ABC stores, including prompt service, cleanliness and attractiveness of stores, and staff responsiveness to customer requests.
  • In July 2008, the General Assembly passed legislation allowing for the expansion of Sunday sales in areas with populations of 100,000 or more. A total of 132 of Virginia's 335 stores are now open on Sunday.
  • ABC stores range in size from 900 to 12,000 square feet. An average store has 2,500 square feet.
  • In November 2008, ABC launched the Virginia ABC Gift Card, available for purchase and redemption at all ABC stores in any amount from $10 to $500. In December 2010, the ABC Gift Card became available for purchase and reloading online.
  • ABC offers more than 3,400 items in its product line, including items from its regular price list, Special Order Catalog and Signature Spirits Collection.
  • The top five selling brands, based on dollars, in fiscal year 2010 were:
    1. Jack Daniel's 7 Black Tennessee Whiskey;
    2. Smirnoff 80 Vodka Domestic;
    3. Grey Goose Vodka - Imported;
    4. Jim Beam Straight Bourbon; and
    5. Crown Royal Canadian Whiskey.

Licensees

  • There are nearly 17,000 ABC licensees throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia ABC licenses allow for sales and/or service of beer and wine and/or mixed beverages.

Enforcement

  • The ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement employs approximately 100 ABC special agents, who are sworn and certified police officers with full police powers. ABC special agents oversee more than 15,000 ABC establishments licensed to sell alcohol.
  • ABC special agents also conduct investigations involving underage sales, fake IDs and other alcohol-related crimes, narcotics trafficking, tobacco smuggling, money laundering, tax fraud, counterfeiting and more.
  • During fiscal year 2010, ABC's Bureau of Law Enforcement conducted more than 16,000 criminal investigations and more than 10,300 inspections of licensed establishments.

Compliance Training

  • ABC offers a wide array of alcohol-related training sessions to the public and its licensees. In fiscal year 2010, ABC provided 108 RSVP (Responsible Sellers and Servers: Virginia's Program) and MART (Managers' Alcohol Responsibility Training) presentations to nearly 1,700 owners and employees of ABC licensed establishments.

Hearings and Appeals

  • The Hearings and Appeals Division is located in the ABC Central Office in Richmond, Va. Administrative law judges travel throughout the state to conduct hearings on issues brought to the ABC Board for resolution. In 2010, more than 1,000 cases were referred for hearing.

Outreach/Initiatives

  • Alcohol and Aging: In response to the growing problem of substance abuse among older adults, ABC partnered with more than 25 organizations to create the Alcohol and Aging Awareness Group (AAAG), which created brochures, a Web site and speaker's bureau. The group also presented two one-day conferences, "The Hidden Epidemic, Alcohol, Medication and the Older Adult," at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), in April 2008 and April 2009.
  • Military Outreach Initiative: Virginia-based junior sailors and soldiers are the target audience for this 2008-2009 educational campaign. Fact sheets and brochures were distributed to Fort Eustis and Fort Story army bases as well as the Naval Station Norfolk highlighting Virginia's alcohol laws and penalties. Several public service announcements were produced to encourage responsible consumption, including "Walking to Work" and "Don't Let This Happen to You."
  • Going Green: In 2008, Virginia ABC received its E2 certification as part of the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program from the state Department of Environmental Quality. It annually recycles approximately 364 tons of cardboard, 18 tons of shrink-wrap, 44 tons of paper, and added $76,000 to its bottom line by recycling pallets.
  • Community Advisory Council: In an effort in increase communication between ABC and the communities it serves, ABC licensees, members of government and community organizations meet with ABC representatives twice per year to discuss ABC services and community needs. With the Council meeting in four regions of the state, ABC is taking the basic concept of community policing and expanding it to a statewide level.
  • College Conference: Established in 1986, ABC sponsors the oldest, continuously running college conference on alcohol abuse prevention for college students in the country. ABC held its 24th Annual College Conference, Nov. 13-15, 2009, in Virginia Beach.
  • OJJDP Grants: Since 1999, ABC has been awarding grants to community organizations, local and rural law enforcement agencies, and universities to prevent underage drinking and access to alcohol. These grants are federally funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and administered by ABC.
  • ARMICS: Agency Risk Management Internal Control Standards. Similar to the federally mandated Sarbanes-Oxley Act, ARMICS is the commonwealth's initiative that requires agencies to identify all fiscal processes; ensure adequate documentation; and evaluate and reduce operating risks. The goal of the program is to ensure the commonwealths' assets are protected, increase transparency and ensure sound business practices. ABC has taken a leading position in implementing ARMICS.

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