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A Day in the Life: Rocky Wirtz

BY ALEX SKJONG

Whether its your preferred drink, your preferred

sports team or your big-city dwelling, theres a good
chance that Rocky Wirtz has played a part in your
Chicago experience. For the president of Wirtz
Corporation (which oversees, among many other
endeavors, national distribution of premium wine
and spirits brands) and chairman and owner of the
Chicago Blackhawks, most days are a rock-star swirl
of hockey, business, and events. But Wirtz puts his
pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us; he
just heads a multibillion-dollar corporation Like 58 9
afterward.
5:00 AM
Its the crack of dawn in Winnetka. Wirtz flips through
the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times,
checks the Internet for any pressing wine and spirits
news, and visits the Wirtz Beverage blog. His five-
year-old beagles, Queenie and Bernie, who often pop
up in random Wirtz employee conversations, are
given their morning walk by Wirtz or his wife,
Marilyn. I want to be reincarnated as one of those
dogs, he says. Wirtz in his office enjoying his favorite beverage, Crystal Light
lemonade
8:00 AM
After a short commute in his Cadillac DTSwith
Radio 7 20 WGN, WLS 890 AM and WBMB Newsradio
7 80 providing the sound trackWirtz arrives at his
office building at 680 North Lake Shore Drive. His
office, filled with Blackhawks memorabilia,
surprisingly hasnt changed much over the years.
Every piece of furniture, including a massive wooden
desk, is the one that was chosen by his grandfather,
Arthur Wirtz. The early morning is spent sifting
through e-mails and fielding calls.
8:30 AM
After a short trip out to Cicero, Wirtz pulls into the
uneven and rocky parking lot of the future location of
Wirtz Beverage Illinois headquarters. When the
construction is complete (slated for August 2012), Giuliana Rancic
the four current beverage warehouses will be Cover shoot: February 2012 issue of Michigan Avenue
consolidated into the enormous Cicero location, magazine.
which will house offices, training facilities, and M O ST PO PU LA R

approximately a million cases of wine and spirits.

Wirtz examines the progress, talking soil, drainage 1. Giuliana Rancic Opens Up
and other details with a geo-engineer who just 2. The Real Sports Wives of Chicago
happens to be a former aerospace engineer for NASA. Wirtzs Chicago Blackhawks brought home the 2010 Stanley Cup 3. Fall Fashion: Prim and Proper Style
When asked how extensive the multimillion-dollar 4. Travel: The Bright Lights of Hong Kong
beverage warehouse will be, Wirtz answers with a
question: Do you know that final scene in Raiders of 5. Rosie O'Donnell's Return to Television
the Lost Ark?
9:00 AM
Just across the street, construction of a full-sized ice
rink is well underway, also being built by Wirtz and
donated to the community. A quick stop reveals only
a skeleton of a rinkno scoreboard, lights or
warming housebut its all in the works. Wirtz chats
with the on-site workers and then its back to the city.
10:00 AM
Wirtz enters 3240 North Lake Shore Drive, a Wirtz
Realty Corporation apartment property, to a chorus
of hellos. He meets John Carbone, director of
operations for the company, to discuss renovations
and walk through a sprawling model unit. The hot
topic is the recent change in building protocol to
allow dogs, something that Wirtzs grandfather was
against.
Wirtz breaks for lunch at Erie Cafe

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 Wirtz breaks for lunch at Erie Cafe
11:00 AM
Wirtzs drink of choice is largely situational. He enjoys a good glass of Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay or
anything with Ketel One vodka. But its early, and after returning to his office, he breaks out his daytime go-
toCrystal Light lemonade. Four bottles of water, each paired with a packet of Crystal Light, sit next to
four lowball glasses filled with ice and proudly displaying an engraved Blackhawks logo.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES (WIRTZ WITH TROPHY); JIMMY FISHBEIN (OFFICE); JIMMY FISHBEIN
(CARBONE, ERIE CAFE); BILL SMITH/GETTY IMAGES (BLACKHAWKS)

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PERSONALITIES / A DAY IN THE LIFE: ROCKY WIRTZ SHARE
Search people, places, events

A Day in the Life: Rocky Wirtz

PAGE 2 OF 2

Like 58 9

At a Chicago Blackhawks game, Wirtz stands and applauds

12:00 PM
Wirtz heads to Erie Cafe for a lunch meeting with
Blackhawks president and CEO John McDonough,
senior vice president of Wirtz Beverage Group Ed
Callison, and president of Res Publica Group Guy
Chipparoni. In between bites, the crew talks family, a
little business, and pokes fun at themselves and each
other in banter that plays like a scene from Cheers.
After finishing the meal with a cup of black coffee,
Wirtz heads back to the office, ready to tackle a flow
of e-mails and attend meetings through the rest of the
afternoon.
Giuliana Rancic
6:00 PM Cover shoot: February 2012 issue of Michigan Avenue
Wirtz spends nearly 200 nights each year out magazine.
workinghockey games, supplier meetings, and M O ST PO PU LA R

events take up much of his evening hours. But tonight

his schedule is clear. After arriving home, he settles 1. Giuliana Rancic Opens Up
in to catch up on the Drudge Report and any sections 2. The Real Sports Wives of Chicago
of the paper he might have missed. The Bears arent John Carbone welcomes Wirtz on a scouting tour of a new
on tonight, so, in the absence of Chicago sports, he property 3. Fall Fashion: Prim and Proper Style
flips to Turner Classic Movies to see if any Jack 4. Travel: The Bright Lights of Hong Kong
Nicholson films are on. 5. Rosie O'Donnell's Return to Television
10:30 PM
As the nightly news wraps up, so does Wirtzs day. The highest compliment you can pay anyone you work
with is, he gets it, McDonough says. Nobody gets it more than Wirtz. After a final e-mail check, Wirtz
settles into bed, ready to get it all over again in the morning.
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Up Playboy Club Return
Because of Reality TV
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[?]
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES (WIRTZ WITH TROPHY); JIMMY FISHBEIN (OFFICE); JIMMY FISHBEIN
(CARBONE, ERIE CAFE); BILL SMITH/GETTY IMAGES (BLACKHAWKS)

SIGN UP | SITE MAP | CONTACT US | MEDIA KIT | ADVERTISING INFO | SUBSCRIPTIONS | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS | NICHE MEDIA LLC
ASPEN PEAK | BOSTON COMMON | CAPITOL FILE | GOTHAM | HAMPTONS | LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL | OCEAN DRIVE | PHILADELPHIA STYLE | VEGAS

converted by Web2PDFConvert.com