Milwaukee-area native Bill Hackett oversees nationwide push behind No. 1 import Corona

Bill Hackett’s business doubled on New Year’s Day. That’s when Chicago-based Crown Imports was officially born, and Hackett, Crown’s president, suddenly was responsible for selling the nation’s top import beer nationwide, not just in the country’s western half.

It was a mighty task that involved hiring well over 100 new workers, quickly forging new relationships with eastern distributors and, above all, keeping the supply of Corona Extra flowing.

Crown, the largest U.S. beer importer, was created when the brewer of Corona, Grupo Modelo, decided to get closer to its U.S. beer business. For almost 30 years Corona had been imported by two companies, Chicago-based Barton Beers and San Antonio-based Gambrinus Co.”*

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