After 28 years with 3M, Lyle Rolofson was considering retirement. Instead, he became president of a rapidly growing wholesale wine, spirits and beer distributorship called Worldwide Wine and Spirits. In the process, he has enlisted his two sons and daughter-in-law in critical roles within the company.

“I was pursuing a passion,” he says, “and we fit a niche.” The company operates exclusively in the state of Kansas, selling to retail stores, including bars and restaurants, from KCK to the Colorado border. Rolofson began with smaller, family owned wineries but has moved into more established, recognizable brands.

Founded in 2001, the company is based in Lenexa, where Meritex Caves make for natural wine storage.