Lynn “Lina” Reisigl spent decades contributing her advertising expertise to some of the most well-known brands in the world. In 2018, she decided to use her experience to launch a passion project of her own: Lina’s Crema di Limoncello. It wasn’t long before the lemon-flavored aperitif, based on her Italian family’s recipe, caught the eye of some major national retailers like Costco and Trader Joe’s. Today, the brand has grown to over 8,000 cases by combining her experience and Park Street’s services to build an efficient operation.
From Industry Veteran to Founder
Before launching Lina’s Crema di Limoncello, Reisigl had deep roots in the spirits industry through Reisigl Associates Inc., their specialized branding and design firm. Under their leadership, they worked with major brands including Cruzan Rum, Bacardi, Sobieski Vodka, and Beam Global, providing advertising, marketing, design, and branding services. This extensive industry experience would prove invaluable when launching her own brand.
When she launched Lina’s Crema di Limoncello in Q4 of 2018, Reisigl understood firsthand the substantial investment required to maintain full-time teams handling compliance, inventory control, and back-office operations. She decided to take a different approach to her latest venture.
“I knew that back-office help would be crucial so that we could really concentrate on the sales and marketing and growth strategies,” explained Reisigl. After meeting Park Street’s Founder and CEO Harry Kohlmann at an industry event, she made the strategic decision to partner with Park Street for operational support. This allowed her to achieve her goal of building a lean, family-operated business while maintaining the operational capabilities of a much larger company.
Building a Foundation Through Local Partnerships
From the beginning, Lina’s Crema di Limoncello took a methodical approach to market development. “There’s no magic bullet, there are no shortcuts to getting these large retailers,” explained James Reisigl, Lina’s son and President of Marchetti Brands, the parent company of Lina’s Crema di Limoncello. “For us, it was just starting small, starting with small local retailers that are obviously much more willing to talk to you.”
The family spent years building relationships with independent grocery stores throughout their home state of Florida. This grassroots approach allowed them to develop a reputation for sales and performance, albeit on a smaller scale. “We pretty much found every independent grocery store in the state, talked to them, and sold to most of them,” he noted.
Rather than immediately targeting major retailers, they built a compelling case through data from their independent store performance. “It wasn’t like we came out the gate and said we’re going to hit a grand slam home run and pitch all the biggest chains,” he said. “We had a proven track record, although it was with small independents.”
Securing and Maintaining Major Retail Partnerships
The brand’s methodical approach and operational efficiency eventually caught the attention of major retailers. Under James’ stewardship, they successfully secured partnerships with both Costco and Trader Joe’s—a significant achievement for a family-owned brand.
He emphasized that managing these relationships requires different approaches for different retailers. “Every chain is different,” he noted. “Their communication is different, their needs are different.” However, he identified one common challenge when scaling to any major chain: inventory management.
“It can be a challenge for a small brand to manage inventory,” he explained. “You get a big chain, there’s going to be a load-in… You don’t want to get caught in a situation where you run out of inventory.” The family credits Park Street’s help with logistics and inventory control as crucial to maintaining these relationships.
Scaling While Staying True to Family Roots
Their strategic focus paid off as they expanded into Georgia, establishing a strong presence before continuing their planned expansion up the coast.
“Every time we open up a new state, I go in [to Park Street’s Navigator tool], click and say, ‘Hey, register me in another state,'” Reisigl noted, highlighting how streamlined operations supported their growth strategy.
As Lina’s Crema di Limoncello approaches the milestone of 100,000 bottles sold this year, it has maintained its commitment to quality and family ownership while operating with the efficiency of a much larger company.
“Going from that larger company to a small family-owned, family-run company and having all of those assets – that’s tremendous and it affects every aspect of the business,” said Reisigl.
The brand continues to benefit from having its core team focused on production, marketing, and sales while maintaining sophisticated back-office operations through Park Street. When industry updates or compliance deadlines approach, they receive automatic notifications. Their ordering system, chargeback management, and delivery tracking operate smoothly in the background, allowing the family to concentrate on growth and innovation.
As a female-founded, family-operated business, Lina’s Crema di Limoncello stands as an example of how modern spirits brands can scale efficiently while maintaining their authentic character. Their success demonstrates that with the right operational foundation, family-owned brands can compete effectively in the national marketplace while staying true to their roots.