Empire Distributors, Inc.

What Empire Distributors, Inc. does

Empire Distributors, Inc. is a privately held, third-generation family-operated wholesale beverage distributor founded in 1940 in Atlanta, Georgia and now headquartered in Austell, Georgia. Since 2010 it has operated as a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway through McLane Company. The company distributes spirits, wine, and beer from more than 1,000 supplier brands to on-premise (restaurants, bars, hotels) and off-premise (retail liquor, grocery, convenience) accounts across four U.S. states — Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Colorado — through 14 facilities and roughly 1,700 Teammates. Empire is the largest statewide spirits and wine wholesaler in Tennessee and a top-five distributor in Colorado, with Tennessee operations built through three successive acquisitions (Horizon Wine & Spirits 2010, Delta Wholesale 2012, B&T Distributing 2017) and Colorado operations built through Baroness Small Estates (2014) and Volio Vino (2017).

The core product is a multi-state, multi-category distribution service: local Empire Representatives carry a curated portfolio of premium spirits, wine, and beer and combine traditional relationship-based service with a SAP-backed ordering platform. Underlying technology consists of an enterprise SAP implementation (CIO-led), an online ordering storefront integrated with SevenFifty.com for product discovery and 24/7 order submission, and an in-house professional printing operation for wine lists, menus, shelf-talkers, and other point-of-sale materials. The company also runs certification training programs (Society of Wine Educators, Court of Master Sommeliers, Cicerone, WSET) and has expanded into adjacent categories including a 2025 hemp-derived beverages and gummies wholesale line.

Revenue is generated transactionally through wholesale margin on beverage sales between supplier brands and retail/hospitality buyers. Pricing is negotiated account-by-account by local sales representatives based on volume and relationship and is not publicly disclosed. Empire also extends value-added services — brand-building support for suppliers, marketing collateral via the in-house print shop, and trade tasting events across its four states — that deepen supplier portfolio stickiness and on-/off-premise account retention. Geographic expansion has historically been acquisition-driven, financed and stabilized by Berkshire Hathaway's capital base, with no new-state entry since 2017 but ongoing facility investment (notably the 602,000 sq ft Austell HQ in 2019).

Name

Empire Distributors, Inc.

Legal name

Empire Distributors, Inc.

Website

https://empiredist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Empire Distributors is a privately held, third-generation, Berkshire Hathaway-owned wholesale beverage distributor (spirits, wine, beer) serving on-premise and off-premise accounts across Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Colorado through 14 facilities and 1,700+ Teammates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Distribution

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Beverage distribution
• Wholesale spirits
• Wine distribution
• Beer distribution
• Alcohol wholesaler

Headquarters

HQ city

Austell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beverage Distribution: Empire Distributors generates revenue by distributing spirits, wine, and beer brands to on-premise and off-premise accounts across four states. They act as the wholesale distribution layer between suppliers and retailers/hospitality businesses.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Empire Distributors is a multi-state wholesale beverage distributor that buys spirits, wine, beer, and hemp-derived products from supplier brands and resells them to on-premise (restaurants, bars, hotels) and off-premise (liquor stores, retailers) accounts across Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Colorado. Local Empire sales representatives handle account relationships, supported by a proprietary online ordering platform integrated with SevenFifty.com, an in-house professional printing operation, and industry certification training programs.

Product overview

Empire Distributors, Inc. is a family-operated beverage distribution company backed by Berkshire Hathaway since 2010, serving four states (Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Colorado) with 14 facilities and over 1,700 employees. The company operates as a multi-category distributor of spirits, wine, and beer, representing over 1,000 brands. The core offering consists of full-service distribution with local sales representatives, supported by a proprietary online ordering platform integrated with SevenFifty.com. Additional services include in-house printing for promotional materials, employee training programs, and hemp-derived beverages/gummies as a newer product category.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beverage Distribution Services Full-service wholesale distribution of spirits, wine, and beer across Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Colorado via 14 facilities and a network of more than 1,700 teammates, serving on-premise (restaurants, bars, hotels, entertainment venues) and off-premise (liquor stores, retail) accounts through local sales representatives with brand development and marketing support for suppliers.
• Empire Online Ordering / Online Storefront Proprietary 24/7 online marketplace available to wholesale beverage buyers, where customers can browse and search products by type, category, and subcategory, check inventory status, and submit orders for processing by their personal Empire sales representative. Integrated with SevenFifty.com for authentication and product browsing.
• In-House Professional Printing Services Full-service in-house printing of customizable promotional materials for on- and off-premise customers, including wine lists, menus, table tents, window clings, promotional signs, bottle neckers, die-cut stickers, and shelf-talkers/shelf-pricers.
• Hemp-Derived Beverages & Gummies Hemp-derived beverages and gummies available for wholesale purchase by beverage buyers, expanding Empire's portfolio beyond traditional spirits, wine, and beer to meet demand for alcohol-free and wellness-focused alternatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grew Bumbu Rum into Top 10 market in the United States for 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Holladay Distillery (McCormick Distilling Co.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 February 2026Multi-state distribution partnership where Empire Distributors represents Holladay Distillery's portfolio including Holladay Bourbons, Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur, Tequila Rose, Broker's Gin, 360 Vodka, and Hussong's Tequila across Colorado, Georgia, and Tennessee. Both companies cite this as a strategic expansion enhancing market reach and support for on- and off-premise accounts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Winebow Group: Multi-state fine wine and spirits distributor with a regional-to-national presence, comparable in portfolio mix (premium wine and spirits) and customer base (on-premise and off-premise accounts) to Empire.
• Breakthru Beverage Group: Multi-state beverage alcohol distributor formed through the merger of Southern Wine and Spirits' northeast unit and Republic National's former operations. Directly competes with Empire for supplier mandates and on/off-premise accounts in overlapping geographies; comparable three-tier distribution model.
• Skurnik Wines & Spirits: Family-owned premium wine and spirits importer/distributor serving multiple U.S. markets with a relationship-driven approach similar to Empire's positioning with craft and premium brand owners.
• Martignetti Companies: New England-based wine and spirits distributor with a multi-state footprint. Comparable as a regional, family-influenced wholesaler serving on-premise and off-premise accounts with premium spirits and wine portfolios.
• Johnson Brothers Liquor Co. Family-owned multi-state wine and spirits wholesaler serving 30+ states with a comparable regional-to-national expansion strategy. Several Empire executives came from Johnson Brothers, and the two compete directly for on-premise and off-premise accounts in overlapping markets.

Others

• McLane Company: Berkshire Hathaway-owned broadline distributor and Empire's parent entity via the Kahn Ventures acquisition. Relevant as the immediate parent and capital partner that funds Empire's expansion and provides logistics synergies.

Broad incumbents

• Republic National Distributing Company: Second-largest alcohol beverage distributor in the U.S., operating across multiple states with similar spirits, wine, and beer portfolios. Closely comparable business model to Empire but with broader national footprint and deeper supplier relationships.
• Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits: Largest wine and spirits distributor in the United States with nationwide coverage. Directly comparable to Empire as a multi-state alcohol wholesaler serving both on-premise and off-premise accounts, but at substantially greater scale and geographic reach.
• E&J Gallo Winery: Largest wine producer in the world and significant distributor of its own and partner brands in select markets. Several Empire executives (including COO Gary Wolfe) came from Gallo, and Gallo products flow through Empire's distribution book.

Regional players

• Fedway Associates: Regional wine and spirits distributor primarily serving Oklahoma and adjacent states. Comparable business model and three-tier distribution focus, though operating in a different geographic territory than Empire.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empire-distributors-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empire Distributors, Inc.