Welcome Noah! Tell us a bit about what you do…
My name is Noah Cohen I originally grew up in Youngstown Ohio. I moved to Pittsburgh to start my second start up at 20 years old. Our business Premier Innovations Group has headquarters in Youngstown, Ohio and our main headquarters is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
What is it that you do that makes you a true entrepreneur?
I am the true definition of a serial start up entrepreneur. I have never worked a job and never received a W-2 paycheck, unless it was solely created by a company that I started. I own two real estate companies, sit on the board of several companies and agencies, have stock equity in several different industry start ups and I’m the founder and CEO of Premier Innovations Group, an umbrella spirits importing company that I started in 2008.
How long have you had a passion for this?
Premier Innovations group has been my passion since 2007 when I formulated the vision and put pen to paper.
How is it that you came across this line of work?
When I owned my advertising start up, before Premier Innovations Group, I encountered several people in the liquor business that we’re doing advertising with my company. After advertising consulting for them, I saw enormous potential in the alcoholic beverage industry. I was particularly drawn to the rampant mergers and acquisitions of individual liquor brands.
Do you have employees? If so, how many?
We currently have 8 employees, but in any given time we can have over 100 part-time workers depending on the timing and project scope.
How would you describe your most interesting day at your business?
Several months ago Premier Innovations Group received an order for 144,000 bottles for the PA Liquor control board and we needed to produce and deliver in a very tight 60 day timeline. One day I left for Eastern Europe with nothing coming together fast enough. In one 24 hour period I flew to Riga, Latvia, took a train four hours to our vodka distillery in the middle of the country and finished the formulation of our new vodka, Gold Drop Vodka, by midnight that night.
Do you ever regret the path you’ve taken?
Never do I regret the decisions I’ve made. They were fully my choice, governed by an unexplainable fate that forged Premier Innovations Group’s path of success.
How do you market your business? Do you have any favorite marketing tools?
We market our business in hundreds of different ways, but mainly through grassroots marketing and social media. Frank Bachurski our Vice President of Premier Innovations Group overseas all of our advertising, social media, press releases, promotions and marketing programs and it is a daunting task.
What would your main goal be for the future?
Continue to grow our clientele of future potential alcoholic beverage brand owners who come to us for guidance as well as to sell several of our existing brands for large multiples. Some of the brands in our current portfolio include but are not limited to: Clique Vodka, Don Pantaleon Tequila, Gold Drop Vodka, The Gin Foundry, Spanish Oak Brandy, Cosmopolitan Diva Sparkling Wine and Pop’s McCann Whiskey.
To what do you attribute your success?
From the beginning Premier Innovations Group has created an amazing culture and we have surrounded ourselves with the right people. I always stay true to the values and principles of building great relationships and first and foremost no matter what, we never quit. Entrepreneurs must weather the storm and stay the course. We accomplished this and ten years later here we are. I want people to remember that Noah Cohen never quit.
Do you have any advice for the upcoming generations of entrepreneurs?
Always remember the rule of double. Everything takes twice as much time and twice as much money, as you think. If you stick to this principle, you’ll be able to emotionally handle the difficulties that business throws your way. You must be prepared to fail daily and get back on the horse. As an entrepreneur you need to be able to take a step back from the business and realize how close you are to success, your light at the end of the tunnel. No matter what, you must continue to stay the course.