Elliot Maisel: Chairman & CEO, Gulf Distributing

Guiding a family-owned, state-wide distributor into its next phase

by Lindsay Mott Fletcher

Gulf Distributing was founded in 1973 and has been in the hands of the Maisel family ever since. Chairman and CEO Elliot Maisel has been involved since the beginning, first helping his mother, Freida Maisel, and then taking the reins in the early 1990s. In October 2025, Gulf moved into a new, expanded headquarters in downtown Mobile, building on the success of the last 50-plus years and providing a space that can support company growth. For this issue, your author (LMF) spoke with Maisel (EM) to learn more about the company, its past and its plans for the future.

LMF: Tell me about your background and education. When did you join Gulf, and how did your career evolve into becoming chairman and CEO?

EM: I was born and raised in Mobile and went to Westlawn, Mary B. Austin, Phillips, Davidson and Murphy before heading to the University of Alabama, where I studied general business and real estate. While I was still in school, my mother, Freida Maisel, founded Gulf Distributing in December of 1973. From the very beginning, I was closely involved. I often say I was “in the business” even before I officially joined, because I would drive home from Tuscaloosa on weekends to help out during those early days when we were still a very small operation.

After graduating, I moved back to Mobile in 1974 and worked at both Gulf Distributing and Herman Maisel and Company. In the 1980s, I bought and operated the Hamrick Motor Company auto dealerships and later worked on pari-mutuel racing development projects before selling those interests in 1990. After that, I focused my attention fully on Gulf Distributing. I officially took the reins at Gulf in the early 1990s and began to grow the company by brand and territory acquisition. Today, I serve as chairman and CEO of Gulf Distributing Holdings, LLC.

LMF: What was it like growing up in and working for a family business? What did you learn?

EM: My mother set the tone for everything. She was a steel magnolia in every sense of the word – strong, capable, graceful and someone who earned respect instantly. Before founding Gulf Distributing, she spent more than 30 years teaching seventh grade in the Mobile County Public School System, and that shaped both who she was and the culture she built here. She believed in hard work, doing things the right way and taking care of people. Her philosophy was simple: Work hard, make it happen and enjoy what you are doing. That mindset has guided me throughout my career.

Growing up in a family business, you learn early that everyone pitches in and that the work matters because it impacts your community. That is something we still carry forward today. During the grand opening of our new headquarters, we presented a $10,000 check to Calloway- Smith Middle School, which is right next door. That moment meant a great deal to me and to our family because supporting
a local school was a way to honor my mother’s legacy as an educator and her belief in giving back. It felt like closing a circle – starting a new chapter for Gulf Distributing while acknowledging the values she instilled in us from the beginning. We always strive to be great neighbors and community partners.

LMF: Is continuing as a family business important? How many family members work in the company?

EM: Gulf Distributing has always been a family-run company, and that remains true today. My three children all serve in leadership roles: Rebecca is our senior vice president (SVP) of Legal and Governmental Affairs, Evan is our SVP over Craft and Non-Alcohol beverages, and Louis serves as our chief operating officer. Each of them brings their own strengths and perspectives as we look toward the next 50 years. Having the next generation step in and help lead the company is something that means a great deal to me, and it reflects the way Gulf has always operated.

LMF: Your mother founded the company in 1973 and was, reportedly, the only woman-owned beer distributor in the country at the time. How did that shape Gulf? What did you learn from her example?

EM: My mother founded Gulf Distributing after a 30-year career teaching middle school English. At the time she started the company, she was recognized as the first woman to purchase a beer distributorship outright and one of a very few wholly woman-owned beer distributors in the U.S. Watching her build a company in an industry where she stood entirely alone was a powerful example. She was smart, strong and had tremendous business instincts. She led by example. She did not have to say a lot. She simply did things the right way. Her influence is still felt throughout the company today.

LMF: Gulf just moved into a new expanded headquarters in downtown Mobile. Walk through the who, where, what and why.

EM: Our new headquarters is housed in the former Press-Register building in downtown Mobile. We invested more than $60 million to retrofit the building into a state-of-the-art warehouse and office space, totaling nearly 243,000 square feet. After almost 50 years at our Moffett Road location, we had simply outgrown the space. Our operations, our workforce and our supplier partnerships have grown significantly, and we needed a facility that could support where the company is headed, not just where it has been.

In the end, this building offered room to grow, the infrastructure to support safe and efficient operations and, most importantly, the chance to invest in the heart of the city where our company began. It is a space that will serve Gulf well for the next 50 years.

LMF: How has the increased space and improved facilities affected operations? Has it changed the way you manage inventory or work with suppliers and clients?

EM: The new headquarters has had a major impact on the way we operate. With the expanded warehouse and upgraded systems, we now have the ability to support the thousands of customers we serve in Mobile, Baldwin and surrounding counties more efficiently than ever before. The facility includes advanced automation technology, new equipment and machinery and improved inventory tracking tools that help us increase accuracy, manage higher volumes and move product through the system faster and more safely.

This building also allows us to work with our supplier and retail partners in a completely new way. We have a dedicated hospitality and meeting space where we can host suppliers, conduct sales meetings and planning sessions and showcase new products. It has already strengthened those relationships
and created an environment where our teams can work together more strategically.

Overall, the upgrades give our employees a safe and beautiful work environment and give our partners a place to connect with us. It positions us to grow while delivering the level of service people expect from Gulf.

LMF: How does the new location support your long-term goals? Are you able to do things now that you could not do before?

EM: This new headquarters is a long-term investment in where Gulf Distributing is going. We needed room to grow, modern infrastructure and a space that supports the major investments we are making in our people, our fleet, our equipment and our operations. The facility allows us to train more effectively, centralize key functions and operate more efficiently as we continue serving thousands of customers across our territory.

It also strengthens our connection to the community. Revitalizing a major downtown building and bringing our team into the heart of Mobile reflects our commitment to the city that has supported us for more than 50 years.

LMF: Looking back at Gulf’s journey, how does this expansion reflect your growth as a leader and the company’s growth overall?

EM: We started with 15 employees and a few trucks. Today, we have more than 1,300 employees, represent over 140 suppliers and serve a large multi-state territory. This headquarters reflects the scale we have reached and the commitment we are making to continue growing. Gulf has both a civic mission and a business mission, and this project reflects both. It serves our employees, our customers and the city we are proud to call home.

LMF: Has being in Mobile been a benefit to the company?

EM: Absolutely. Mobile has been home for my family and for Gulf Distributing since day one, and it has
played a big role in our success. This is a community with a strong industrial base, a talented workforce and a business environment that supports growth. The relationships we’ve built here over the last 50 years have been incredibly important. Mobile is a place where people know one another, where partnerships and relationships matter and where community is important. That fits who we are as a company. Being headquartered here has allowed us to grow across Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Mississippi while staying connected to the city that helped shape us. It’s a big part of our identity and always will be.

LMF: What sets Gulf apart? What is the company culture like?

EM: Gulf Distributing is a large, multi- state distributor – we serve the entire state of Alabama (including locations in Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile), Northwest Florida and southern and central Mississippi. Even with that scale and reach, at our core, we are still a people-first, family-led company.

We are incredibly proud of our company culture, which focuses around our core mission and values of
people, partnership, results, community, future-focused, integrity and pride. We expect our leadership and our team to continually reflect these values every day. Our employees are fundamental to our success, building trusted relationships with customers and suppliers while proudly serving the communities we call home.

That culture comes directly from how the business began and has been shaped by each generation. My mother set a standard for integrity, hard work, respect and community involvement — values that remain central today. We treat our employees, our partners and our communities with respect. We are future-focused: We invest in our people, our infrastructure and our service so that every part of Gulf reflects that foundation.

Our culture is reflected in the long tenure of so many of our people – we are proud that so many of our employees have been with Gulf Distributing for a decade or more, and their loyalty and pride are a big part of what differentiates us. Gulf isn’t just about the logistics of beverage distribution – it’s about building
long-term careers, supporting our communities and maintaining relationships with suppliers and retail partners across our territories.

We also believe in giving back and staying engaged with the places we serve. When we talk about being a family-led company, that means more than ownership – it also means treating our people like family and supporting the communities where they live. That personal, grounded approach – combined with the breadth of our reach – is what truly sets Gulf apart.

LMF: What does the future look like for Gulf?

EM: Although Gulf Distributing is more than 50 years old, we are just getting started. The investments we are making in technology, operations, training, our headquarters and especially our people are designed to position us for long-term growth and relevance for years to come.

LMF: What does success look like for Gulf today and moving forward?

EM: Success for Gulf Distributing looks like continued investment in our people, involvement in the communities in which we are rooted, growth at every level, trusted brand builders and a best-in-class logistics company. It is about being an incredible place to work for our people, representing our suppliers and serving our customers and communities. We plan to continue building a company that remains strong for decades to come.