The team at Empire Merchants LLC brings the insight and strategies that come from decades of experience in fine wine and spirits.
E. Lloyd Sobel
CEO/President
E. Lloyd Sobel started his career in the wine and spirits industry in 1978 as a market research analyst for Joseph E. Seagram and Sons. During his 16-year career there, Lloyd held positions in sales, marketing and administration. Prior to joining Charmer Industries, Lloyd was the vice president, Eastern Division manager, at Seagram’s and in 1994 he became the executive vice president, Charmer Industries, responsible for creating, re-engineering and leading numerous sales divisions. In February 2005, Lloyd was named president of Charmer Industries, Metro New York, and after the combination of Peerless Importers and Charmer Industries, he became the CEO/president of Empire Merchants LLC. Under his leadership, Empire Merchants LLC has exceeded all financial and sales targets and become a world-class organization. Lloyd obtained a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the State University of New York, Fredonia, and has continued his executive education at Columbia University and the Wharton School of Business.
Terrence A. Arlotta
Chief Financial Officer
Terrence A. Arlotta is the chief financial officer at Empire Merchants LLC. He holds both a B.S. and a M.B.A. in Accounting from St. John's University in New York. Terry joined Peerless Importers in 1974 as an assistant controller for the company, and in 1980 became the controller for the company. In 1984, he was promoted again to CFO of Peerless Importers. Terry’s 30-plus years of experience in both accounting and operations in the wine and spirits industry is a valuable asset to Empire’s executive committee.
Tony Magliocco
Chief Operating Officer
Tony Magliocco is Empire Merchants LLC's chief operating officer. Tony led the effort to consolidate Empire’s multiple warehouses with the implementation of a software system and a process-improvement plan that enables Empire to ship 10 million cases annually. Prior to joining Empire, Tony was the executive vice president of Peerless Importers (1999-2007). At Peerless, Tony led sales and operations, implemented a state-of-the-art carton sortation system and an Oracle ERP system, and was instrumental in the consolidation at Peerless of several global wine and spirit suppliers. Prior to his role as executive vice president of Peerless Importers, Tony was an investment banker at Furman Selz LLC and Bear, Stearns & Co., specializing in mergers and acquisitions, as well as debt and equity financings. Tony received a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in Accounting and Finance from New York University.
David C. Drucker
General Manager – Empire Merchants Wines, Wines and Spirits, and Vintage Divisions
David Drucker is the general manager of the Empire Merchants Wines, Wines and Spirits, and Vintage sales divisions and is a member of the executive committee. David obtained a B.S. degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, with a concentration in beverage management and finance. After Cornell, David obtained his J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law. After practicing corporate law at Dickstein Shapiro LLP, he moved to Sidney Frank Importing Company as legal counsel. In 2006, David joined Premier Beverage of Florida, where he gained sales and marketing experience. In February 2007, David returned to New York to join Empire Merchants LLC, where he was instrumental in establishing the new sales structure.
Stephen E. Meresman
Corporate Secretary
Stephen E. Meresman is the corporate secretary for Empire Merchants LLC and is a member of the executive committee. Steve was the chief financial officer of Charmer Industries from 1988 to 2006. In addition to his Charmer experience, he has served other companies in various financial positions. Steve is a certified public accountant in New York and has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business from New York University.