GENERAL MANAGER TOM LEONARD
Tom Leonard pictured far right. Hanging out in Cadaqués, Spain circa 1973.
Born in Chicago, IL but raised in St. Louis, MO, Tom Leonard was first exposed to wine by his grandmother who owned a very successful catering business in St. Louis and then at her French Restaurant, Chalet de Normandie. While working towards a B.S. in Finance at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Tom pursued his interest in fine wine by finding local mentorship at revered restaurants with extensive wine lists. After graduating from college, Tom and two of his best friends travelled throughout Europe for eight months in a Volkswagen van, covering 26 countries and indulging in more than a few bottles of wine. On this trip, he developed a deep appreciation for the ‘old world’ wines of Europe. The experience abroad would drive Tom to a lifelong dream of producing his own wine in the classic style.
Upon his return to St. Louis, Tom excelled in professional salesmanship and general management roles as he worked alongside his father, Bud Leonard, for the next 40 years at W. T. Leonard & Associates, a ‘Manufacturer’s Rep Firm’. Based out of St. Louis, MO, Bud established W. T. Leonard & Associates in 1951 to represent the most respected brands in the plumbing industry.
When Tom joined his father’s sales team, and in the entrepreneurial spirit of the Leonard family history, he developed a strategy for delivering innovative products that were often more expensive than the competition by proving them to be of greater value in the long run. Through product demonstration and installation, he educated both the plumber and the consumer on their product’s features and benefits. Tom’s portfolio included luxury German faucets made out of solid brass with a precedent pull-out head that would provide serious longevity and functionality, light weight plastic pressure fittings to expedite irrigation installations and provide a solution to rust prone metal fittings, and American made water heaters whose advancements such as proprietary parts with extended warranties, ‘energy efficient’ models, and a self-cleaning feature turned the rudimentary water heater into a high performing household appliance.
Tom and Bud Leonard of W. T. Leonard & Associates. Photo taken in 1971, a few years prior to their partnership.
Having sold the final cases of 2014 Muddy Arch Roussanne, Landa Vineyard, Sonoma Valley AVA to a legendary establishment, The Kitchen restaurant in Sacramento, CA, Tom and Chris Leonard stop by the restaurant to promote the wine and celebrate their success.
Tom became president of the company in 1987 and grew the sales volume to over $50 million with 20 employees in a 5 state region. Providing decades of service and innovation to the plumbing industry, Bud and Tom Leonard stepped away from the business in 2012 and passed the company onto their two top salesmen. Tom was then able to take on a new challenge with his son, Winemaker Chris Leonard, and launched Leonard Wine Company commencing with their inaugural 2014 vintage.
TOM LEONARD, GENERAL MANAGER
Tom Leonard pictured far right. Hanging out in Cadaqués, Spain circa 1973.
Born in Chicago, IL but raised in St. Louis, MO, Tom Leonard was first exposed to wine by his grandmother who owned a very successful catering business in St. Louis and then at her French Restaurant, Chalet de Normandie. While working towards a B.S. in Finance at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Tom pursued his interest in fine wine by finding local mentorship at revered restaurants with extensive wine lists. After graduating from college, Tom and two of his best friends travelled throughout Europe for eight months in a Volkswagen van, covering 26 countries and indulging in more than a few bottles of wine. On this trip, he developed a deep appreciation for the ‘old world’ wines of Europe. The experience abroad would drive Tom to a lifelong dream of producing his own wine in the classic style.
Upon his return to St. Louis, Tom excelled in professional salesmanship and general management roles as he worked alongside his father, Bud Leonard, for the next 40 years at W. T. Leonard & Associates, a ‘Manufacturer’s Rep Firm’. Based out of St. Louis, MO, Bud established W. T. Leonard & Associates in 1951 to represent the most respected brands in the plumbing industry.
Tom and Bud Leonard of W. T. Leonard & Associates. Photo taken in 1971, a few years prior to their partnership.
When Tom joined his father’s sales team, and in the entrepreneurial spirit of the Leonard family history, he developed a strategy for delivering innovative products that were often more expensive than the competition by proving them to be of greater value in the long run. Through product demonstration and installation, he educated both the plumber and the consumer on their product’s features and benefits. Tom’s portfolio included luxury German faucets made out of solid brass with a precedent pull-out head that would provide serious longevity and functionality, light weight plastic pressure fittings to expedite irrigation installations and provide a solution to rust prone metal fittings, and American made water heaters whose advancements such as proprietary parts with extended warranties, ‘energy efficient’ models, and a self-cleaning feature turned the rudimentary water heater into a high performing household appliance.
Tom became president of the company in 1987 and grew the sales volume to over $50 million with 20 employees in a 5 state region. Providing decades of service and innovation to the plumbing industry, Bud and Tom Leonard stepped away from the business in 2012 and passed the company onto their two top salesmen. Tom was then able to take on a new challenge with his son, Winemaker Chris Leonard, and launched Leonard Wine Company commencing with their inaugural 2014 vintage.
Having sold the final cases of 2014 Muddy Arch Roussanne, Landa Vineyard, Sonoma Valley AVA to a legendary establishment, The Kitchen restaurant in Sacramento, CA, Tom and Chris Leonard stop by the restaurant to promote the wine and celebrate their success.