Brown-Forman Appoints Four Distributors for 11 US Control States
Brown-Forman has appointed four distributor groups to replace RNDC across 11 US control states, effective June 1. Johnson Brothers, Southern Glazer’s, Superior Beverage Group and Great Lakes Wine & Spirits will handle regional portfolios after a review of distributor agreements in 18 state-managed markets.
1. Distribution Network Restructuring
Brown-Forman conducted a comprehensive review of its distributor agreements across 18 state-managed markets and decided to end its relationship with Republic National Distributing Company in 11 US control states.
2. New Distributor Assignments
The company has appointed four groups: Johnson Brothers in Idaho, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming; Southern Glazer’s in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont; Superior Beverage Group in Ohio; and Great Lakes Wine & Spirits in Michigan.
3. Timeline and Market Coverage
These changes take effect on June 1, with the remaining seven control states continuing under existing distributor partnerships to maintain uninterrupted supply and regulatory compliance.
4. Strategic Objectives and Outlook
The restructuring aims to leverage partners with specialized regulatory expertise and strong commercial execution to enhance brand availability for portfolios such as Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve, following similar distribution updates in May 2025 and paused merger talks with Pernod Ricard.