Pronghorn joins Discus membership scheme

Diversity and inclusivity-driven Pronghorn is one of four new companies to join the Distilled Spirits Council of the US’s Partner Membership Program.

Trade body the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (Discus) has welcomed four new companies to the programme: Pronghorn, Brand Muscle, Charter Brokerage and Somax Circular Solutions.

Chris Swonger, president and CEO of Discus and Responsibility.org, commented: “We created the Partner Member Program to further enhance our advocacy efforts while creating a means to receive important input and technical expertise from our industry partners on key issues facing the industry.”

The Discus Partner Membership Program provides different member package options, and is offered to individuals, companies and associations linked to the distilled spirits supply chains and related businesses.

Over the past year, more than 80 representatives from Partner Member companies have taken part in ‘high-profile, leadership opportunities’. These have included Ask the Expert sessions, the Discus Annual Conference, industry-wide webinars, and the Discus Academy.

Joe Donadoni, vice-president of member relations at Discus, added: “As the Partner Membership Program has grown over the last three years, we’ve not only seen these companies provide additional value to our director and craft members, but we also have watched those industry partners forge meaningful business relationships with key players in the distilled spirits sector, which only enhances those businesses and our sector as a whole.”

Diageo co-founded Pronghorn with industry experts Dia Simms and Erin Harris. Launched in 2021, the 10-year initiative works to expand diversity, equity and inclusion within the drinks trade.

Its goals include helping the Black community generate US$2 billion in economic value in the US. The Black community accounts for 12% of alcoholic beverage consumers in the US.