The N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association is represented by four of the top lobbyists and government relations professionals in the state, according to a survey released today by the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research.

The N.C. Beer & Wine lobbyists include Harold Brubaker (ranked the #1 most influential lobbyist), Tom Fetzer (#3), Lori Ann Harris (#11) and Tim Kent (#27).  Brubaker is the former Speaker of the N.C. House who became a lobbyist in 2013 following 36 years of service in the N.C. General Assembly.  Fetzer is the former chairman of the N.C. Republican Party and Harris has a sterling 25-year career in public policy and lobbying.  Brubaker, Fetzer and Harris are contract lobbyists who represent multiple entities but the N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association is their only client representing alcohol-related interests.  Kent is the Association’s executive director and a lobbyist in North Carolina for 25 years.

Association chairman David “Crockett” Long of Long Beverage in Raleigh said, “We are proud of the outstanding team we have assembled and their many accomplishments, especially in the last several years.   We are dedicated to protecting responsible alcohol regulation , consumer choice and fairness in the marketplace.  The members of our Association have always made a strong commitment to legislative and political involvement since our organization’s creation in 1936, and today’s news is just the latest example.