J. F. Fick, Inc. - Our Corporate History

The company moved into this Fuller Heights Road location in 1937.

F. Fick, Inc. began its proud relationship with Anheuser-Busch 65 years ago. Starting with a warehouse, which was actually a one-car garage located behind Oertly's Grocery on March 6, 1936, the Fick family has continued the tradition of serving only the finest and freshest beer products into the 21st century.

The founder, Jack F. Fick, Sr. with a helper and an old pulpwood truck started delivering Budweiser from the warehouse on Old Triangle Road in Triangle, Virginia in 1936. Beer was brought into the Triangle warehouse from the Anheuser-Busch distribution center in Washington, DC. Within a year, increasing sales of the Budweiser brand required that a larger warehouse be acquired to accommodate a growing inventory. 1937 saw J. F. Fick, Inc. move its location to Fuller Heights Road across from the family farm located between Triangle and Quantico Marine Corp Base. Beginning in 1939 beer was shipped to J. F. Fick by rail cars from Newark, NJ and St. Louis, MO to Quantico Town. This required unloading rail cars refrigerated with dry ice and moving the beer to the warehouse on Fuller Heights Road. The war years of 1941 to 1945 were unique years, with gas and tire rationing and increased troop levels at Fort A. P. Hill, Quantico Marine Corp Base, and the OSS Base located at Independent Hill in Prince William County. Military sales accounted for 60% of the draught market and 48% of the package market. The late 1940's brought increased sales and the addition of a second route truck.

Jack Fick, Jr., a decorated WWII Marine Corp veteran of the Pacific and graduate of V.M.I , joined the family business in 1949. In addition, in 1949 the company built a larger cinder block warehouse at the site on Fuller Heights Road. Sales continued to grow through the Korean War years due to a steady flow of troops through the local military bases. The end of the Korean War brought about a change in sales trends as the military bases de-staffed and the very beginning of the population boom began in the Prince William County area. No longer was the military J. F. Fick, Inc.'s largest customer base. Jack Fick, Jr. become sole owner and President of J. F. Fick, Inc. in January of 1958. The 1960's brought thousands of new customers to the area and in 1969 J. F. Fick, Inc. was again moving to a larger warehouse.

J. F. Fick's 4th home was this metal building.

This new larger warehouse was located in the Town of Quantico on a rail siding. Steady sales growth and the 1971 opening of an Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Williamsburg, VA required that J. F. Fick, Inc. again start considering another larger warehouse.

The corporation's 5th home was this modern day warehouse facility built in 1973.

Inadequate industrial zoning in Prince William County and no longer requiring the need for rail shipments, J. F. Fick, Inc. headed south to a 9.5 acre tract at Midway in Stafford County, where in 1973 a 15,000 square foot block and metal building with offices was opened. In addition, the warehouse in the Town of Quantico was dismantled and erected at the Stafford location as a fleet maintenance facility.

In December of 1975 Magruder Fick, the youngest son of Jack and Pat Fick, joined the corporation as Vice-President after obtaining a degree in business management at National Business College in Roanoke, VA.

The first 40 years saw J. F. Fick, Inc. grow from 2 employees with 1 truck to 38 people and a fleet of 25 vehicles. The late 1970's brought about the change from small straight trucks to route tractors with trailers and customized refrigerated draught party trailers. On Tuesday, December 14, 1982, J. F. Fick, Inc. reached a milestone as 1 million cases in 1 year was sold. This achievement moved J. F. Fick, Inc. to become the benchmark for beer wholesalers in our area. Again, sales increases saw the need in1984 to expand and another 12,000 square feet was added in addition to a 4,000 square foot refrigerated draught cooler capable of handling 3000 kegs. This expansion allowed J.F. Fick, Inc. to store its' products in a controlled environmental warehouse and distribute nearly quarter million cases of beer. Additional sales offices and a conference / training room were added at this time. As sales increases continued throughout the 1980s J. F. Fick, Inc. set a blistering pace by achieving Anheuser-Busch's coveted "Wholesaler of the Year" award for Virginia in 1985. This was followed up by "back to back" "Wholesaler of the Year" awards for 1987 and 1988.

In late 1987, John F. Fick, III joined the company as President after selling a successful pharmacy business in Williamsburg, VA. John, like his father, is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute. In addition, after graduating from VM.I in 1973, John attended the Medical College of Virginia and graduated with an advanced degree in pharmacology.

Early 1988 saw the last of Jack and Pat Fick's children join the company. Nancy Campbell, an office manger for a Washington, DC law firm, came aboard as Vice-President. Sales continued to grow and in 1988 J. F. Fick, Inc. seeing the need for even more warehouse space began looking for property in Fredericksburg, VA. J.F. Fick's current headquarters constructed in 1988 and occupied in November, 1989.

J.F. Fick's current headquarters constructed in 1988 and occupied in November, 1989.

1989 saw the completion of a new 35,000 square foot corporate distribution center. The location at Stafford became a satellite distribution center. In 1991 Tammy Campbell, Nancy's daughter, joined the company after completing her education at George Mason University.

1992 saw the bottom fall out of the beer business with the 1991 doubling of the Federal and State excise tax. The 1990's proved difficult for all beer wholesalers and the days of increasing sales were gone. It seemed at times that without price promotions meeting volume expectations was impossible. With flat sales, J. F. Fick, Inc. was forced to rethink its position with regards to a satellite distribution center and in 1997 opted to expand the Fredericksburg location and move the entire operation in 1998. A new fleet facility was constructed and the corporate distribution center was expanded to 54,000 square feet.

John Fick's son Jeffery, a recent graduate of George Mason University, joined the company in November of 1999. 1999 was also the year the entire beer industry shook off the impact of the excise tax increase and began setting expectations of increasing sales.

In 2000, J. F. Fick, Inc. was again selected as Anheuser-Busch's Virginia "Wholesaler of the Year". With continued momentum J. F. Fick, Inc. has set a 2 million case objective, another milestone, and yet another benchmark that sets J. F. Fick, Inc. apart from the competition.