Brown-Forman appoints four distributors for 11 state-managed markets from June 1
Brown-Forman will reassign distribution in 11 state-managed US markets from June 1, ending its relationship with RNDC and appointing Johnson Brothers for Idaho, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Southern Glazer’s will serve Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont; Superior Beverage covers Ohio; Great Lakes Wine & Spirits handles Michigan.
1. Distribution Network Restructuring
Brown-Forman has reviewed its distributor agreements across 18 state-managed US markets and decided to reassign its network in 11 control states effective June 1, ending its long-standing relationship with Republic National Distributing Company in those territories.
2. New Distributor Assignments
Under the new arrangement, Johnson Brothers will cover Idaho, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming; Southern Glazer’s will serve Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont; Superior Beverage will handle Ohio; and Great Lakes Wine & Spirits will manage Michigan.
3. Strategic Rationale
The company cited the need for partners with regulatory expertise and strong commercial execution to ensure its premium spirits brands are optimally positioned in state-managed channels and to support on-premise and off-premise growth strategies.
4. Timeline and Context
These changes follow a similar overhaul in May 2025 when Brown-Forman appointed new distributors for 13 local markets, making Breakthru Beverage its largest national partner; the June 1 transition aligns with ongoing efforts to streamline US distribution.