It’s grueling work, but our Distribution Specialists — the folks out there delivering our beer to our accounts — are truly the unsung heroes of Cape Beverage. After all, without them, we’d be sitting on a lot of beer, and you folks out there would be mighty thirsty.

So, when Marcus came to interview, we were lucky that it was pretty obvious that he’d fit right in.

“Without even realizing it, Marcus embodied many of our Core Values during his initial interview,” says Cape Beverage Operations Manager Justin Vitti. “The atmosphere in the room around him was totally Fun, and it was almost as if he was a longtime friend, simply hanging out in the conference room. He was Direct, Honest, and Respectful in responses to some really difficult interview questions. His positive and cheerful attitude makes him a great fit within the complexities of the Distribution team at Cape Beverage.”

Welcome Marcus Harris!

Originally from Pleasantville, Marcus moved to Egg Harbor Township in the seventh grade, eventually graduating from Egg Harbor Township High School. He attended Atlantic Cape Community College for a bit but found that college wasn’t for him. 

Before joining Cape Beverage as a Distribution Specialist, he primarily worked security, working the overnight shift for a behavioral health unit in Estell Manor, NJ, and cooked at Stockton University for five years.

After working the graveyard shift, Marcus was looking for a change.

“I wanted to get back into driving,” he says. “I have my CDL, but I haven’t really utilized it since I got it back in 2012.”

Marcus fell into a story common with people who are entering the workforce for their first real job.

“A lot of places were saying that they weren’t hiring without experience,” he says. “Everywhere, you needed experience. How am I going to get experience if no one’s willing to give me a chance?”

While Cape Beverage asks for at least three years of experience for any of our CDL trucks, we were willing to give Marcus an opportunity as a Distribution Specialist, allowing him the chance to get back into practice behind the wheel of the bigger trucks, at his own pace.

“I’m trying to be here a long time and work my way up with the drivers,” he says. “Maybe I’ll venture off into something else further down the line, either with Cape Beverage or Cape May Brewing Company, hopefully as a permanent position.”

When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his kids: 15-year-old Makayla and 11-year-old Marcus Jr.

“Playing video games, taking vacations, that type of stuff,” he says. “I’m a homebody. The simple things make me happy.”

Marcus points to a seven-day cruise from Florida to CocoCay in the Caribbean as one of his favorite memories with them.

“It was a lot of fun,” he says. “I’d never been on a cruise before, so all of the casinos and all of the stores were cool. And we really loved the all-you-can-eat buffets. CocoCay was a nice little resort with pools and a lot of fun things to do.”

Somehow, even though he’s spent his whole life in the Philadelphia area, Marcus has ended up a Baltimore Ravens fan.

“Ravens all day; can’t beat that. I’ve been a Ravens fan since I was about nine. I was attracted to the colors,” he laughs, “but when I got older, I started learning about the players, and now I’m a lifelong fan.”

When it comes to music, Marcus is a fan of hip-hop and rap.

“I like any type of music except for country,” he says. “Can’t do country. Drake is my favorite artist.”

He’s really enjoying his time at Cape Beverage thus far. 

“I like it,” he says. “I like the people. The work isn’t too hard once you get the hang of it. The pay’s always on time — never had a problem with that. Some places, the pay is sometimes messed up and you try to get a hold of somebody and there’s a problem and you get the runaround. Cape Beverage, I haven’t had that problem at all.”

While this may sound like the most basic, fundamental one should expect from a job, Marcus is right. We’ve all had jobs at some point in our lives where your pay is never right and it’s like pulling teeth to get it fixed. It speaks volumes about the kinds of companies that let it happen.

“And I really like the fact that they feed us on Thursdays!” he says. “On Thursday, we had Chipotle. When I got back, I had a big bowl of rice and steak and chicken and peppers. I mean, you can’t beat that — a job that feeds you. I like it here. A lot.”

The perks around here are really awesome, but Marcus likes the free beer.

“I really like Tan Limes,” he says. “I also like Coastal Evacuation. I went on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry last week, and I drank two. When I got off the ferry, I was feeling nice.”

If you see Marcus out in the field, delivering our beer, be sure to say hello!