Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) will close its California operations effective September 2, 2025.
Interim CEO Bob Hendrickson has issued a preliminary statement following a company town hall meeting held on June 2, stating: “We’ve made the difficult business decision to withdraw from California, which affects many of the roles in the state. We are complying with all regulatory obligations and are committed to handling every transition thoughtfully and smoothly and ensuring everyone is treated fairly and respectfully. We are grateful for the support of these employees and will do our best to support them during this time.”
Hendrickson also mentioned that this decision was made as a result of ” rising operational costs, industry headwinds and supplier changes that made the market unsustainable,” and not because of the California team’s lack of performance.
RNDC Pivots After Losing Brown-Forman
RNDC’s decision to exit California comes shortly after the company lost Tito’s and Brown-Forman to Reyes Beverage Group in California. The state is one of the single largest markets for spirits in the U.S.
Recently, Brown-Forman also announced it would be changing distribution partners in additional states. The firm has opted for Johnson Brothers in Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas, and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits in Louisiana and New York. Further states will be covered by other distributors.
“Regarding Brown-Forman, their decision to end partnerships across all open markets, effective August 1, is part of a broader strategic shift—not performance-related,” Hendrickson said in the statement. “While this brings change, we are actively evaluating the impact and charting a path to emerge stronger. We’ve faced challenges before and grown through them—we’ll do so again.”
