PRO platform reduces workload and turnaround time for registration approval
(ATLANTA) June 28, 2022 – Today, automated alcohol beverage compliance leader Sovos ShipCompliant announced that the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control (DOLC) has selected ShipCompliant Product Registration Online (PRO), an online submission and approval system for state alcohol regulators, that will allow beer, wine, seltzer and mixed beverage brands to register new labels and renew existing ones. The move from the current DOLC system of paper registrations to the PRO platform will help decrease the approval times from weeks or even months to days or hours.
“In order to remain truly competitive in today’s market, our manufacturers and wholesalers must respond quickly to consumer demand, and we can help them achieve success by streamlining the process to get new products into the marketplace,” said Jim Canepa, DOLC superintendent. “Our partnership with ShipCompliant PRO helps us achieve this goal by streamlining the brand label registration and renewal process in Ohio, creating an approval process that is faster, easier and more cost-effective.”
The DOLC regulates the manufacture, distribution and retail sales of all alcoholic beverages in the state of Ohio. Currently managing more than 25,000 active brands, the DOLC requires all brand labels for beer, wine and spirits be registered and approved before they are brought to market. PRO’s user-friendly compliance interface will accelerate DOLC’s brand registration processing, while also reducing paper waste and shipping costs. In 2021, the DOLC processed more than 15,100 labels and more than 10,400 to date in 2022.
“Many state alcohol regulators continue the use of antiquated manual renewal and registration systems that have proven costly, confusing and time-consuming for alcohol beverage brand registration,” said Larry Cormier, vice president and general manager of Sovos ShipCompliant. “By bringing Ohio onto the PRO system, we will help the state in their mission to not only cut down on costs and time spent on brand registrations, but also support economic development by allowing wholesalers, importers and retailers to get their products to market faster.”
PRO is currently in use across 15 states, which allows smooth adoption of a familiar e-file solution as compared to any individual state solution. Using the only direct integration to the TTB COLA database and tailoring each workflow solution to the unique rules and regulations in participating states, including brand/label fee structures, PRO reduces the risk of bad data on brand registrations.
Brand label renewals and registrations for products are estimated to be available through the PRO system starting in Q3 of this year. With the digital transition, users can submit applications, along with any state fees, for speedy review. The division can examine all application details within the PRO portal, leave comments and approve registrations without any paper or postage required. Additionally, the DOLC will begin to track and integrate historical data easily accessible to users within the PRO systems.
State liquor authorities can learn more about Product Registration Online from Sovos ShipCompliant here; suppliers and producers interested in learning more may do so here.
About Sovos ShipCompliant
Sovos ShipCompliant has been the leader in automated alcohol beverage compliance tools for more than 15 years, providing a full suite of cloud-based solutions to wineries, breweries, distilleries, importers, distributors and retailers to ensure they meet all federal and state regulations for direct-to-consumer and three-tier distribution. ShipCompliant’s solutions reduce risk, lessen the burden of compliance, accelerate bringing products to market and enable revenue growth. With 60+ partner integrations, Sovos ShipCompliant leads a robust ecosystem of technology partnerships, enabling powerful complementary solutions. For more information, visit https://www.sovos.com/shipcompliant and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control
The Division of Liquor Control is part of the Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio’s chief regulatory agency. The Department is focused on promoting prosperity and protecting what matters most to Ohioans. We ensure businesses follow the laws that help them create jobs and keep Ohioans safe. To learn more about what we do, visit our website at www.com.ohio.gov.
