Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) said it acquired White Mountain Beverage, an independent Anheuser-Busch wholesaler, combining wine and spirits with beer to have one consolidated route to market. White Mountain Beverage, with offices in Anchorage, Alaska; Fairbanks, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; and Renton, Wash., will now be known as RNDC Alaska. Terms weren’t disclosed.
“This purchase gives RNDC a unique competitive advantage, allowing RNDC to be the only wholesaler to own the full route to market in the state of Alaska,” said Bob Hendrickson, RNDC Chief Operating Officer. “Don Grasse continues to lead the beer, spirit and wine business, making RNDC the only company with local control and national expertise. We believe this will bring more stability to the business in the Alaska marketplace and a platform for future growth.”
Also included in the purchase is the full ownership of subsidiary K&L, which includes associates in five Control States: Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, as well as support services. These associates begin to transition to RNDC as their employer in January.
Comment: Note that the A-B has to approve wholesaler changes. We suspect you will see increased movement into spirits by A-B and other brewers — whether by allowing wine and spirits wholesalers to acquire A-B distributors or by producing spirits themselves.