Brown-Forman is set to distribute its brands in California through Reyes Beverage Group from the beginning of May.
Reyes, which has handled Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola RTD in the US state since 2022, will take on the rest of the group’s portfolio from Republic National Distributing Co. Brown-Forman said the expanded partnership exhibits its “commitment to growth and innovation in the largest spirits market in the US”.
“As we strive to continue to grow our business, optimising our routes to market is critical,” said Brown-Forman’s Americas president, Michael Masick. “After careful consideration, including a formal request for proposal process that began in 2024, we’re confident that Reyes Beverage Group is the ideal partner to help us achieve our ambitious growth objectives in this key market.”
Reyes also handles distribution for Sazerac Co’s Buffalo Trace and Fireball spirits brands and boasts annual volumes of around 320m cases. The privately-owned company also works in Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington DC.
Earlier this year, Brown-Forman lined up a reduction of its global workforce, with almost 650 of its 5,400 employees expected to be cut. The group’s latest results saw sales in the six months to the end of October come in flat, despite a rise of 3% in the half-year’s second quarter (August to October).
Meanwhile, Campari Group has also initiated an “organisational restructuring” process that will include a review of its current employee base.
