A new era has begun for the Liquor Stores Association of Western Australia following the appointment of Steve Nicoloff as the new elected chair.
Mr Nicoloff (pictured above with wife Sue) was previously deputy chair, and was voted to the senior role at this month’s LSA board meeting.
He has taken over from long serving stalwart Lou Spagnolo who stepped down late last year.
Mr Nicoloff and his family have been immersed in the retail liquor space for many decades.
He said it was a privilege to take over the reins and ensure small business owners, just like himself, continued to have a voice in an ever-evolving industry.
“It’s a big honour to be voted by my peers as chair of the LSA WA and I’d like to thank Lou for his service. He’s an icon in the industry and I’ve gleaned a lot of knowledge over the years working alongside him.
“Growing up in and around liquor retailing, the industry has given me and my family so much, therefore I’m happy to be part of a new chapter in the LSA story and can continue to give back in my new role.
He said serving the ongoing needs of members and business partners across industry matters remained a priority for the LSA and to ensure the industry continued to thrive.
Mr Nicoloff said with both a state and federal election just around the corner, political lobbying would be a strong area of focus in 2025.
“We will be working with every political party to ensure our voice is heard and our key policies are understood.
“Through the executive team led by our CEO Peter Peck, we have achieved quite a lot, and we will continue to press our case through that space and remind all politicians that we play a significant role to the state economy”.
This year will also mark the 30th anniversary for the LSA’s liquor industry awards and Mr Nicoloff said this year would pay special tribute to the milestone event.
“We know it’s always a great event where everyone comes together to celebrate” he said.
“We will be making sure that the event packs a bit more punch to reflect the last 30 years and how we have come along since then”.
He said a date had been set for October and members would be notified soon.
He also urged members to reach out if they needed any advice or support that impacted on their business.
“Our organisation exists for our members” he said.
“It’s the reason why we formed way back in 1952 and it remains the reason why we are still here to this day”.
“We are here for the mum and dad business owners who need our support and we will make sure we will always give it to them”.
Long standing LSA board member Chris Dzodzos has taken over the deputy chair role, while Brent Rudler remains as treasurer.
Michael Cartwright, Vikrant Sharma and Ross Tamburri round out the LSA board for 2025.