The largest family-owned bourbon maker in the country is getting new leadership
Heaven Hill, the largest independent family-owned spirits company in the country, on Monday announced that the third generation will be taking over.
Current president Max L. Shapira will assume the new role of executive chairman beginning Sept. 1. Taking over as co-presidents will be Max’s daughter, Kate Latts, and her husband, Allan Latts, the company said in a news release.
Kate and Allan Latts joined Heaven Hill in 2001 after completing undergraduate and MBA degrees at Duke University. They also both worked at Procter & Gamble, working in marketing and finance, respectively, according to the news release.
Kate Latts currently leads Heaven Hill’s marketing and brand management as chief marketing officer and Allan Latts serves as chief operating officer, overseeing operations, the company’s corporate functions, strategy and the newly acquired Samson & Surrey division.
“Allan and I are proud to assume the leadership of Heaven Hill with full knowledge of our generational responsibility,” Kate Latts said in a statement. “My dad, grandfather and his brothers built a company with an enduring legacy of family and independence that is increasingly unique in distilled spirits. With the support of our incredible team, we are as committed as ever to preserving those qualities and ensuring our success for generations to come.”
Max Shapira joined the bourbon maker in 1970 after working on Wall Street. He eventually followed his father, Ed Shapira, in leading the company his family founded in 1935.
What drinks does Heaven Hill make?
Under Max Shapira, Heaven Hill developed into a global company with brands that today include Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Larceny, and Henry McKenna bourbons; Rittenhouse Rye Whisky; Deep Eddy Vodka; Admiral Nelson’s Rum; Black Velvet Canadian Whisky; Lunazul Tequila; HPNOTIQ Liqueur; Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur and many more.
This story was originally published June 28, 2022 at 10:05 AM.
