Retiring Deb Powell:          
From Breaking Barriers to GACS' Supplier of the Year—One Member's Journey

  by Sharon Shuford
When Deb Powell, Beverage South, decided to retire at the end of 2024, GACS Today decided to talk with her about her career and her thoughts on the industry.
It was serendipity that brought Deb Powell, one of GACS’ most long term members, to the beer industry, which she came to love and where she dedicated her career. 
 
Powell was a second year grad student at the University of South Carolina, earning a pittance as a Graduate Assistant, and decided she needed more income stability. When she learned that one of the local beer distributors was looking for a sales rep, she applied. It was the early 80’s; the initial response was that the company didn’t want to hire a woman. Her response: “You should hire me.” And he did. And the rest is her story.
 
From that job, she put together a resume for beer and applied to Coors. At that time there was no internet. Coors flew her to Golden, Co. for interviews, hired her, and she began her real career assigned to Memphis, TN. Powell landed in Atlanta  when she was promoted in 1986, and began calling on retailers. 
 
It was the early 90’s. The way she describes those early years: “I got to drink beer and plan events. I was working for Coors at an expansion time. It was fun.”
GACS Enters the Picture
It wasn’t long before she got involved with GACS.  One her earliest memories was attending the GACS annual convention at Callaway Gardens. As her involvement grew over the years, Powell came to appreciate how much GACS brought to the table. 
 
“I got to interact with customers in a different sort of way, on a more personal level,” she says. Powell became involved with committees and events for GACS. She recalls, for example, taking a jet to Nashville while on the Convention Committee, to survey for an upcoming convention with Nancy Bivens. Getting to know retailers by working with them on joint projects was a highlight of Powell’s membership work with GACS – and ultimately she was awarded Supplier of the Year in 2001, during a convention in Savannah.
No Two Days Were Alike
Powell learned to immerse herself in the C-store retail business. For her it wasn’t just a matter of calling on the retail trade, making appointments and meeting with buyers. Instead, it involved riding and working the stores, understanding the business, the set ups, the product assortment, especially with chains. “I gave it my full attention,” she explained, “working it from A to Z. Only then could I feel confident about the ‘ask’.”
 
Which brought us to the crux of the matter:  what really gets Deb Powell energized is working with people. “I’m an extrovert” she explains, adding “I love planning and executing, and seeing what I plan come to fruition."
An Industry Undergoing Change
With 40 years in the business, Powell has developed perspective and insights about the issues and what the future might hold, from a beer perspective. As she sees it, consumers drive the business – and consumers are changing. “Young adults today are more health conscious,” she says. She continues, “They’re not so brand loyal. They’re into trying different things. This initially helped the craft category, where there’s always something new and different.” But, she adds, “With beer, you want brand loyalty. For craft beer, that’s been a challenge.”
 
She also says the popularity of lower alcohol and non alcohol beers is growing, along with an increasing shift to spirits. These factors have definitely impacted the overall beer business.
 
With respect to C-Stores, Powell says, “It’s interesting to see what the impact of EV’s will be – how it will change the dynamic.” 
 
Powell also sees a parallel between convenience stores and beer with respect to consolidation. “I don’t see this changing,” Powell remarks.  “Consolidation is obviously impacting C-Stores; also the beer business is hugely impacted by the consolidation of beer distributors.” She reflects on the chains that are no longer here, like Flash Foods; suppliers are mightily impacted by C-Store consolidation, as she illustrates by asking “where do we send the paperwork?” now that Speedway is part of 7-Eleven.
 
And In Her Off Time
A military brat, as she puts it, who moved around a lot, Powell has always found a “home” in the water as a swimmer.  She explains “it’s a way to meet new people.”   A member of a Masters’ Swimming Group, Powell swims three times a week with a group in Johns Creek.
 
Always working remotely has also led her to a group of friends who meet regularly for walks and coffee.
 
What the Future Holds
“More swimming and a better exercise routine,” she says first, when looking at her retirement.  Powell also plans to go back to school; her interests are wide and varied, including music, politics, travel and film. 
 
What matters most, she reflects, is “staying active and engaged, moving forward, and learning new things.  I want to remain positive.”  And of her hopes for beer and C-Stores?  Powell concludes with, “My hope is that women will continue to make great strides.”
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