South Delaware Coors Case

South Delaware Coors

Larry Brownlow was just beginning to realize the problem was more complex than hethought. The problem, of course, was giving direction to Manson and Associates regarding which research should be completed by February 20, 1989, to determine market potentialof a Coors beer distributorship for a two-county area in southern Delaware. With data fromthis research, Larry would be able to estimate the feasibility of such an operation before theMarch 5 application deadline. Larry knew his decision on whether or not to apply for thedistributorship was the most important career choice he had ever faced.
LARRY BROWNLOW
Larry was just completing his M.B.A. and, from his standpoint, the Coors announcementof expansion into Delaware could hardly have been better timed. He had long ago decidedthe best opportunities and rewards were in smaller, self-owned businesses and not in the jungles of corporate giants. Because of a family tragedy some three years ago, Larry foundhimself in a position to consider small business opportunities such as the Coors distributorship. Approximately $500,000 was held in trust for Larry, to be dispersed when hereached age 30. Until then, Larry and his family lived on an annual trust income of about$40,000. It was on this income that Larry decided to leave his sales engineering job andreturn to graduate school for his M.B.A.
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The decision to complete a graduate program and operate his own business had beeneasy to make. While he could have retired and lived off investment income, Larry knewsuch a life would not be to his liking. Working with people and the challenge of making iton his own, Larry thought, were far more preferable to enduring an early retirement.Larry would be 30 in July, about the time money would actually be needed to start the business. In the meantime, he had access to about