RNDC to offload assets to Reyes Beverage Group

Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC), the second largest national drinks distributor in the US is said to be on the cusp of selling its operations in seven states to a major player in beer.

When President Trump enforced his sky-high tariffs on European drinks exported to the United States, many warned of the knock-on effect this might have on American importers and distributors.

This warning appears to be coming to fruition if rumours are true concerning one of the biggest wine and spirits distributors in the US. Following on from its collapse in the state of California less than six months ago, an anonymous source within RNDC has revealed the company is now poised to sell off a significant slice of its domestic operations to Reyes Beverage Group, the biggest beer distributor in the US.

This includes its business arms in Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Economic terms

In a memo shared with RNDC employees, company president and CEO Marc Sachs announced on Tuesday that “We have aligned with Reyes Beverage Group on key economic terms…upon completion of the transaction, Reyes plans to run the newly acquired businesses separately from their current operations.”

A spokesperson for Reyes told Beer Business Daily that Reyes was in “active discussions” to acquire RNDC in the seven markets named above.

“While there are still a number of steps we need to finalise the deal, I hope that you join me in recognising this positive development,” the spokesperson said.

California collapse

RNDC revealed it was exiting California on 1 September 2025 due to losing a number of key supplier accounts, with Kanchan Achar, head of corporate communications, saying at the time: “We’ve made the difficult business decision to withdraw from California which affects many roles in the state. We are complying with all regulatory obligations and are committed to handling every transition thoughtfully and smoothly.”

The company cited unsustainable operational costs, increased market pressures, and losing major partners like Brown-Forman and Tito’s to competitors. In May 2025 Brown-Forman switched its California distribution from RNDC to Reyes Beverage Group, which also represents Brown-Forman in Alaska.

Who are Reyes?

Reyes Beverage Group distributes around 350 million cases of beer across the US per year, including products made by Heineken, Corona, Modelo, Coors Light, Miller Light, Guinness, Blue Moon, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Athletic Brewing and Firestone Walker. Parent company Reyes Holdings is the sixth largest privately held company in the US, making approximately US$40 in annual sales per year.

In addition to its beer distribution arm (Reyes Beverage Group), Reyes Holdings also owns Martin Brower, which supplies McDonalds, and two Coca Cola bottlers, Great Lakes Coca Cola and Reyes Holdings Coca Cola.

According to Forbes, the company’s founder started Reyes in 1974 with a small Schlitz beer distributor in South Carolina purchased for US$740,000.

 

Related news

Grace under pressure: the wines showing resilience in the downturn

'The South Asian diaspora are tough judges' says Maharaja Drinks CEO

Bodega Norton remains 'fully operational' despite major restructure