Inductees

On a float trip on the scenic Buffalo River in Arkansas in 1975 and with his life pushing 30, Jim Ferguson declared this idea to three buddies: One day he would become the Coors beer distributor in southwest Missouri.

Lo and behold, what seemed like a longshot idea actually became a reality in 1978 and, ever since, has been quite the success story.

Heart of America Beverage Company has flexed quite the economic muscle and, even better, has parlayed success into other important endeavors such as heartfelt philanthropy that touches much of the Ozarks.

Which is why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to bestow the 2019 John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award on Heart of America Beverage Company. The award is a major thank-you to a corporate entity that throws its support behind the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame as well as sports in general across the state.

A Springfield-based distributorship, HOA is a corporate sponsor of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and a lead sponsor of the PGA Web.com Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper.

That’s significant.

The Hall of Fame is a 501c-3 not-for-profit which does not apply for state or federal funding and instead relies solely on the generosity of businesses and individuals. Additionally, the distributorship’s support of the Price Cutter tournament continuously boosts the missions of numerous Ozarks children’s charities, which have been gifted more than $15.6 million since 1990. A total of 49 charities in 2018 received more than $950,300.

Additionally, HOA is active in Missouri State University Athletics and Drury University Athletics.

“HOA owes almost all of its success to our dedicated and hard-working employees,” Ferguson said. “Two in particular stand out: Butch Ready worked here for 35 years before he retired in 2013. He started as a route salesman, was our General Manager from 1994 until 2005, and then finished working here doing special assignments for me. Lance Foresee started working here while still at MSU in the 1990s. In 2005, he became our CEO and General Manager and has done an incredible job ever since.”

And to think it all began with an idea in the summer of 1975, on a float trip. Even Ferguson can’t help but smile just thinking about it all, but who can blame him?

On August 3, 1977, the Adolph Coors Company announced plans to expand into southwest Missouri. A year later, after applying to lead a distributorship, Ferguson earned the right to do just that. What’s one of his favorite memories ever since?

“Looking up two years later (in 1980) and finding we were still in business,” Ferguson said, “and it looked like we would be for years to come.”

The greatest challenge was learning the beer business while “on the job.” Ferguson was an English major in college and then went to law school, practicing law for five years.

“I had no business background whatsoever,” said Ferguson, a graduate of Greenwood Laboratory School (1965), Missouri State University (1969) and the University of Missouri Law School (1972). “Starting a new business with no experience in that industry in particular and business in general was somewhat challenging.”

The company began as Coors of the Ozarks in Springfield and 13 surrounding counties.

Today, it remains the last surviving original Coors distributor in Missouri, with Ferguson as its Chairman. The company also has greatly expanded from 22 workers to 225 and now covers 26 counties. Over the years, it has operated under the names Clear Creek Distributing Company, the Beer Company LLC and, in 2008, changed its name to Heart of America Beverage Company – all after the purchases of several other distributorships.

In its history, it has won numerous awards, including 11 Excellence Awards from Coors, four President’s Awards from MillerCoors and, in 2003, the Founders Award – the highest honor Coors Brewing Company gives for its National Distributor of the Year.

In 2017, Ferguson was named a MillerCoors Legend, a select group of long-time distributors who are recognized for their leadership, commitment, investment and perseverance in building the MillerCoors system.

Along the way, HOA came aboard as a significant sponsor of both the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the Price Cutter tournament.

Part of its backstory involves Jerald Andrews, the longtime President & Executive Director of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the Executive Director of the Price Cutter tournament.

Since 1995, Andrews has maintained and expanded the sponsorship coalitions of both organizations, and he and Foresee eventually crafted a partnership that has lasted for years.

The draw for HOA was the abundance of golf events offered by both Hall of Fame and Price Cutter tournament, as morning and afternoon rounds are played at some of the finest courses across the state.

The Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classics feature sports celebrities. The PCCC has 14 golf experiences such as pro-ams, including a Wednesday pro-am featuring the Top 50 money winners on the Web.com Tour, as well as an event at Top of the Rock south of Branson.

“With the elite status of both the PCCC and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, as well as their extensive support of local charities, getting involved felt like a great opportunity to us,” said Ferguson, whose father was a standout golfer and who himself has played the sport his entire life.

Ferguson said he appreciates the Hall of Fame’s efforts in honoring coaches and athletes from all over the state and their positive work to ready teens for adulthood.

“I have been involved in athletics all of my life, first at Greenwood in several sports, then at Yale University on the freshman basketball team and with many golf tournaments over the course of my life,” Ferguson said. “At one point in college I thought about becoming a high school coach. I have great admiration for teachers, coaches and athletes who strive to be the very best.”

The PCCC’s focus on charities also won him over.

“HOA is involved in many charities in southwest Missouri and the PCCC is all about supporting local charities,” Ferguson said. “The two fit together naturally.”

Partnerships with Missouri State and Drury also are meaningful, considering Ferguson spent 13 years as a student at Greenwood, which is on the MSU campus. He also served on MSU’s Board of Regents, including the last two as President of the Board.

“We have been successful for a few basic reasons,” Ferguson said. “First, we sell quality products provided to us by excellent suppliers. Secondly, we have great employees who work very hard at their jobs. Third, we have always tried to make working here fun and giving our employees the best wages and benefits that we can afford.”

In other words, talk about a dream come true. One day you’re floating the Buffalo River, and the next your distributorship is celebrating its 41^st year in 2019.

“I often wonder how it ever happened,” Ferguson said, “but all I can figure out is that the good Lord blessed me and continues to bless me each and every day of my life.”