Peter Eichler

Background

About Peter Eichler

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I started my career in sales at the age of 15. I had developed a fish food to use in my aquariums because I couldn't find a quality food on the market. Realizing there might be other aquarists like me, I did what felt natural and started visiting pet stores to allow them to try my food. To make a long story short, my line of foods would later be distributed by two of the largest pet supply distributors in the Midwest. I had built a brand with a loyal following! I loved the sales aspect of my business, but I knew that making smelly fish food wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After some time in the retail world, I started working at a fine dining restaurant to help pay my way through school. I soon developed a passion and a palate for gourmet foods and fine wines. This led to Import Wines Inc. I had an amazing portfolio of Spanish, Italian, French and boutique California wines to represent, and quickly learned the ins and outs of the three-tier system. I developed wine lists and retail sets with many of the top on-premise and off-premise accounts in Wisconsin. I'm particularly proud of helping introduce little known Spanish varietals and brands of Jorge Ordonez into the Wisconsin market. After many wonderful years in wine, I was fortunate to find Rishi Tea. I was drawn to Rishi because of their quality and their commitment to organic cultivation and ethical sourcing. At Rishi, I have been able to foster my love of food and beverage, grow a brand, and help others grow their tea brands. Expanding our business in a wide variety of channels -from specialty natural to food service, both domestically and internationally- has been a rewarding challenge. Knowing that Rishi is being enjoyed in far off places around the world, and the sense of pride I feel for helping make that happen reaffirms what I suspected when I was 15; selling is what I'm meant to do.