MEET OUR TEAM
As a family-owned business, AVC works hard to ensure that our team feels like a family. Some of our employees have been with us for over two decades, bridging our two generations of family ownership, and in some cases, even bringing their own children to work for AVC. We are proud both of the employees who have been with us since the beginning, as well as people who have joined our team more recently, bringing fresh perspectives and creative solutions.
Their commitment to quality and high customer service is the real story behind our growth, and when you get to know them, you get to know AVC, too.
We’re pleased to introduce AVC’s team of specialists in transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, and direct to consumer, in their own words.
"It's like my grandfather told me: if you love your job, you are never going to work a day."
- David Ramirez, Warehouse Manager, Part of the AVC Team since 1995
From his earliest days, when he was “one of three guys in the warehouse” to supervising 35 today, his work at AVC has been a very rewarding experience for David. So much so, that his son has joined the direct shipping team. Every day David works hard to make sure that orders go out in the best way possible, walking the warehouse floor to make sure his team has everything they need to get the job done. Two decades ago David was hired by Marc Dahlgren, father of the current owners Meritt Dahlgren and Marci Jacobs. He feels that the same positive work environment that inspired him to work at AVC then, is still in force today. A former chef, in his spare time David loves to cook Italian food, spend time with his mother and paint abstracts on canvas in oil and acrylics.
"I like the creative leeway AVC gives me in solving logistics problems for our customers: from identifying the issue, to designing a solution, to training our team."
- Raul Chimelir, Operations Manager, An AVC team member for 9 years
Raul is AVC’s technology solutions wizard: applying a passion and understanding of technology to a natural curiosity and resourcefulness to improve operations across all departments at AVC. Before joining the team at AVC five years ago, Raul managed his family’s vineyard in Uruguay, giving him a full appreciation for all the work that goes into a quality bottle of wine, and an understanding of the specialized needs of different grape varietals. Of his many accomplishments at AVC, Raul is most proud of his work on the internal employee portal, which enables his colleagues in the trucking, wholesale, warehouse, and administrative teams to interact more efficiently. But, as AVC’s customers know, Raul is more than the guy behind the computer. Just as he was able to move from his childhood home in Alaska to Uruguay, Raul transitions equally well from the world of databases and barcodes to working directly with our clients to make sure their needs are being met.
"Marci and Meritt encourage us to cross-train, to understand not just our own jobs but the impact we have on the people we work with. So when AVC succeeds, I feel like a part of the success."
- Lisa Maddock, Customer Service Manager, An AVC Team member since 2013
What does wedding planning have in common with wine compliance? If you think nothing, then you have never had to deal with juggling the deadlines and complex needs of a bride and her mother, all the while treating them like each is your number one priority. Lisa’s background in wedding planning – combined with a cheerful attitude and an aptitude for staying on top of TTB regulations – have made her an invaluable member of the AVC team for the past two years. Lisa thrives on absorbing complex information – whether regarding exports or the latest TTB tax policies -- and sharing it with her customers in an understandable way. Active in her community as a volunteer at the Food Bank, Lisa loves that AVC is a local business at home in its community, and she loves running into AVC customers at the grocery store or when she’s out hiking the trails.
"AVC has had very kind and good leaders since I came to work here. Their hard work to grow their company has inspired me to grow a business of my own."
- Jose Bailon, Truck Driver with AVC Since 1990
Jose’s impressive tenure and safety record at AVC are only part of his truly remarkable success story. He has been driving trucks since “I was a kid,” and for AVC for twenty five years, hauling cases of wine, barrels, glass and tanks with excellent reliability. Jose credits the steady growth that he has seen at AVC over the years, combined with the great attitudes and energy of the Dahlgren family, with inspiring him to branch out and start his own businesses. “If you have a dream,” says Jose, “you must never stop.” Taking his own advice to heart, Jose never stops. When he’s not at AVC, he’s growing his own property management business and tending to his sheep at his ranch out on Lower Lake, where in his very rare spare time you’ll find him enjoying carne asada with his family.
