an entrepreneurial
venture with success built in.
The power of Your Brand
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modest beginnings
In September of 1974, WSRM, Inc. Chairman, John Haronian, opened his first liquor store, Douglas Liquors in North Providence, RI. Fast forward some 30 years later, John founded WSRM as a franchising company, specializing in three models - The Douglas Group, Liquor Warehouse, and Wines & More. It is with team work and enduring partnerships that we are able to offer this, and other valuable services, to our fanchisees and clients.
Senior Leadership
Made up of decades of experience, WSRM, Inc. has forged its path as Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts' leader in wine and spirit retail that is unmatched across the industry. Progressive in its entrepreneurial spirit, senior leadership and the WSRM team is dedicated to building retail business for today's customer and tomorrow's consumer.
Chairman
Born in Providence, RI John received his degree in pharmacy from URI in 1958 and spent the next 25 years estabishing 16 super drug stores located in 3 States with over 800 employees and annual sales topping $70 million. In 1987, John opened Rhode Island's first full service eye care facility, Vision World. With this eight-store eye chain and sales in excess of $6.5 million, John continued his retail presence.
In September, 1974, John opened his first liquor store, Douglas Liquors. Identifying a new business opportunity, John established WSRM, Inc.
Now, a major cutting-edge company with 14 locations, WSRM Inc. continues to grow its franchising/consulting company offering investors an opportunity to be a part of a group that consistently produces returns on an investment that outpaces the industry averages.
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President
As President, and former COO of WSRM, Inc. Kathy is heavily involved in the daily fuctions of Marketing, Operations, and Finance. Having earned her B.A. in Marketing and M.B.A from Bryant College, Kathy has established herself as a business leader in the industry and flourished in all aspects of the business, from day-to-day Operations, Advertising, Marketing, Buying, and more.
As Vice President of several companies including Douglas Drug, Vision World, and Store Designers, Kathy has gained valuable hands on experience in all facets of the retail industry.
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Vice President, Finance
Sal is an alumni of Bryant College (’84) with a BS in Computer Information Systems. He also pursued an accounting education at Bryant and certified by the RI Board of Accountancy in 1992. Sal’s professional experience includes financial management of wholesale, manufacturing, and professional services enterprises in addition to many years of experience in the retail sector of private industry. Sal has held corporate leadership positions in both Retail Operations and Finance and has often been responsible for implementing or improving systems to support chain store retailers
Vice President, Operations & Compliance
With over 15 years of experience as Operational District Manager, Keith Gillis, brings his extensive knowledge and expertise to the Executive position of Vice President of Operations. Keith is well versed in brand management and operational imperatives. An expert in inventory control, training, and personnel, Keith provides our clients with the assurance that their investment is in the best of hands. Keith currently is responsible for overseeing the management of three district managers and 14 locations. His innate ability to communicate, provides our team with the tools needed to ensure growth today as well as into the future
Vice President, Business Development
Dan's unique position is dedicated to the task of ensuring that our clients are equipped with the latest innovations in retail technology with one singular goal, to increase revenue. Dan and his team have brought WSRM client's into the forefront of on-demand, contactless retail, while still providing cutting edge in-store experiences that lead the market. As head of the Business Development team, Dan oversees the Product Development Dept. as well as Advertising/Marketing and IT teams, creating one cohesive unit, ready to take on market volatility and disruption.
Having earned his B.F.A, M.A., and HBR certification, Dan brings a broad scope of knowledge across several fields of expertise to his role at WSRM.
directory Operations & compliance
Operations & Compliance upholds the strictest standards in today's challenging retail environment. Through frequent visits to each location, the Operations' team is responsible for overseeing, and dedicated to, the ever-evolving training of client's employees such as, but not limited to, inventory levels, payroll, ordering, buying, and merchandising. Customer service has always been top priority for the department, maintaining the highest standard customer service across all locations. Staffed with seasoned Operation Managers, WSRM, Inc. is able to create an efficient and well maintained retail company for our clients.
Business development/IT
The department of Business Development & IT is dedicated to long-term growth and revenue for its clients and franchisees. By identifying trends and developing new areas of revenue, the team, solely dedicated to the proposition that customer service and all that encapsulates the new user experience drives sales, is made up of teammates from each department at WSRM including Operations, Product Development, Digital Marketing, Advertising, and Graphic Design, to stimulate innovation.
Currently, throughout the pandemic, the Business Development team was able to launch programs and campaigns dedicated to contactless services including in-store pickup and curbside pickup, local delivery, and shipping - a market leader in this new retail age. Now with the release of their mobile applications, the team continues to look for new ways to unite the consumer with the product.
product development
Product Development is segregated into four categories - Spirits, Wine, Beer, and Gourmet Food and Giftware. Managed by experts in their fields, Category Directors focus on marketing strategies and product awareness. The Directors are not only responsible for the development of products, but consult with client's regarding floor planning, price points, and the overall success of the category they oversee.
Since 2017, the Product Development Department has launched dozens of private label ventures providing high-valued product gross profit, a lead driver in WSRM efforts to succeed at each client location today and tomorrow.
The team is always looking to introduce new, innovative products to the market as well as test target brands based on regional demographics and KPI (Key Performance Indicator) reporting to respond to consumer trends.