Kramer Beverage
How Kramer Beverage Codified Culture to Double in Size
Scaled
Effectively
Culture in
Every Interaction
Reduced
Turnover
Client Overview
Kramer Beverage, a prominent wholesale beer and beverage distributor in South and Central New Jersey since 1926 and ranks among the state's largest distributors. The company adopted the Fundamentals in 2013, integrating them into its culture and operations.
Why it Matters
Culture isn’t just about being a good company — it’s about creating clarity, connection, and direction in the moments that matter most. For Kramer Beverage, the Fundamentals helped codify what had long been part of their DNA and made it visible, consistent, and actionable. This mattered not only for existing employees, but especially for new team members brought in during acquisitions and ongoing growth.
Challenges
Before launching the Fundamentals, Kramer Beverage had a positive culture, strong leadership, and a good reputation, but their values weren't actively practiced. Past attempts to promote these values led to skepticism among employees. President Mark Kramer aimed to integrate culture into the business to foster long-term employee retention.
Solutions
Mark was inspired by David Friedman and his book "Fundamentally Different" to adopt the Fundamentals system. The weekly structure, supported by emails, meetings, and leadership examples, ensured consistency. The Fundamentals integrated into performance reviews, onboarding, team discussions, and acquisitions. Launched in 2013 with an all-company kickoff in collaboration with CultureWise, they have since become essential to Kramer Beverage's operations and growth.
The Culture You Need
Won’t Build Itself
We’ll give you the system, structure, and support to make it happen.