Empire Merchants North

What Empire Merchants North does

Empire Merchants North LLC is a privately held regional wine and spirits distributor formed in September 2007 through the merger of Colony Liquor & Wine Distributors and Service-Universal Distributors, both with roots in the post-Prohibition era. Operating from its Coxsackie, NY headquarters with four additional facilities across New York (West Coxsackie, Lyons, Cheektowaga, and Syracuse) plus a regional office in Astoria, the company is the premier distributor of fine wine and spirits across Upstate, Central, and Western New York. It serves more than 9,000 restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs, and retail outlets through three dedicated field-sales divisions (Royal, Freedom, and Phoenix) staffed by over 700 TIPS-certified employees, and represents an extensive supplier portfolio spanning major international producers (Moët Hennessy, William Grant & Sons, Pernod Ricard, E&J Gallo, Diageo, Brown-Forman, Bacardi, Rémy Cointreau, Beam Suntory) to local craft wineries and distillers.

The company's commercial model has increasingly blended traditional field-sales-led distribution with a digital self-serve channel. In May 2022, Empire Merchants North (alongside its sister organization Empire Merchants) launched Empire360, an industry-leading B2B digital sales platform developed in partnership with City Hive Inc. that provides 24-hour online ordering, product discovery, advanced assortment views, combo offerings, transparent pricing, invoice management, and an integrated Bill Pay module. A parallel Nuvo-powered onboarding workflow digitalizes new-account applications, including NY State liquor license and ST-120 resale certificate capture. Together these systems reduce friction in order taking, payment processing, and account signup while supporting the underlying physical distribution operation.

Revenue is generated through product distribution margins across the wine and spirits portfolio, with no publicly disclosed pricing or contract terms. The company has no parent corporation, no institutional investors, no disclosed funding history, and operates as a closely held LLC under management-led ownership. Leadership is anchored by President/CEO Eric Pfeil and COO/CFO Keith Abatto. Strategic positioning is reinforced by long-tenured supplier relationships, including a renewed five-year extension with William Grant & Sons in March 2023 extending a six-decade partnership, and full TIPS certification of its sales associates and agency partners in support of responsible beverage service.

Name

Empire Merchants North

Legal name

Empire Merchants North LLC

Website

https://empirenorth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Empire Merchants North is a privately held, Upstate New York-based wine and spirits distributor formed in 2007 that serves over 9,000 restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs, and retail outlets from five distribution facilities using the Empire360 B2B digital ordering platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Alcohol 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

• Wine distribution
• Spirits distribution
• Beverage alcohol wholesale
• B2B beverage platform
• Alcohol distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Astoria

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

Revenue model

1. Wine and Spirits Distribution: Distribution of fine wine and spirits to restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs and retail outlets throughout Upstate New York. Revenue generated through product distribution margins.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Empire Merchants North distributes fine wine and spirits to more than 9,000 restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs, and retail outlets across Upstate, Central, and Western New York. The company operates five state-of-the-art facilities and combines physical distribution operations with the Empire360 B2B digital sales platform, which enables 24-hour online ordering, product discovery, account management, and integrated bill pay for licensed beverage alcohol buyers.

Product overview

Empire Merchants North operates as a premier wine and spirits distributor in Upstate New York, combining physical distribution operations with a digital-first strategy through its Empire360 platform. The core offering consists of wine and spirits distribution services to over 9,000 restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs, and retail outlets. Digital products include Empire360 (B2B e-commerce platform with 24-hour ordering, product discovery, and bill pay), the Nuvo-based New Account Application system, and Customer Service Request Forms. The company represents an extensive supplier portfolio spanning major international brands to local craft producers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empire360: A 360-degree approach to beverage alcohol B2B e-commerce. An industry-leading business-to-business digital sales platform enabling 24-hour online ordering, product discovery, and account management services.

Products and services

• Empire360 A B2B digital sales platform for beverage alcohol e-commerce that provides licensed trade buyers with 24-hour online ordering, product discovery, advanced assortment views, robust combo offerings, transparent pricing displays, invoice viewing, online payment processing (Bill Pay), and customer account management.
• Wine and Spirits Distribution Physical distribution services for wine and spirits throughout Upstate, Central, and Western New York, serving restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs, and retail outlets with a portfolio of national and international supplier brands.
• New Account Application (Nuvo) Online onboarding platform that enables prospective customers to complete account applications, submit required documentation including New York State liquor license, ST-120 resale certificate, and personal guarantee forms to open a new trade account with Empire Merchants North.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• William Grant & Sons USAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2023William Grant & Sons USA and Empire Merchants signed a new five-year agreement extending their six-decade partnership in the New York market. The partnership covers distribution of William Grant & Sons portfolio including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Hendrick's Gin, Sailor Jerry, Tullamore D.E.W., Monkey Shoulder, and Drambuie through Empire's nearly 10,000 partner retail outlets across New York State.
• City Hive Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 31 May 2022Empire Merchants partnered with City Hive Inc. to develop Empire360, an industry-leading beverage alcohol B2B digital sales platform. City Hive Inc. is a leading beverage alcohol focused technology company powering more than 3,000 retail partners reaching over 950 cities in forty states. The partnership enabled Empire to create a cutting-edge digital solution providing product discovery, advanced assortment views, robust combo offerings, and transparent pricing displays.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Empire Merchants: Sister company serving NYC, Long Island, and Westchester with the same wine and spirits distribution model and shared supplier relationships (William Grant, Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard). Comparable operations, customer mix, and Empire360 platform usage.
• Breakthru Beverage Group: Large multi-state wine and spirits distributor with operations across the U.S., including overlapping markets in the Northeast. Eric Pfeil, Empire's CEO, was previously EVP at Breakthru Beverage of Florida, indicating direct operational comparability.
• Winebow: Regional wine and spirits distributor with strong fine wine portfolio and on-premise focus, comparable to Empire in supplier mix and customer segmentation. Operates as a regional specialist in overlapping Northeast markets.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits: The largest wine and spirits distributor in the U.S., operating nationwide. While Empire is a regional specialist, Southern Glazer's represents the scaled incumbent peer whose terms, supplier relationships, and digital investments set the competitive benchmark.
• Republic National Distributing Company: Top-tier U.S. beverage alcohol distributor with multi-state operations and overlapping supplier portfolios. Compares on business model (wine/spirits wholesale), customer base (on-premise/off-premise), and competitive posture in regional markets.

Others

• E&J Gallo Winery: Major wine supplier in Empire's portfolio and a former employer of Empire's CEO. Relevant as both a key supplier relationship and as a vertically integrated competitor in some markets through its own distribution investments.

Emerging players

• Skurnik Wines: Specialty wine importer and distributor with a strong fine wine portfolio and on-premise relationships. Comparable as a portfolio-overlap competitor in the fine wine segment served by Empire's Stelluti-led team.
• Hotaling & Co. Craft spirits-focused importer and distributor with a portfolio approach similar to Empire's craft offerings (e.g., William Grant's craft-adjacent brands). Compares in supplier-craft focus and on-premise customer development.
• Vias Imports: Italian-focused wine importer and distributor with a strong on-premise restaurant footprint. Comparable in supplier-craft specialization, premium wine portfolio mix, and on-premise sales motion.

Regional players

• MHW (Manhattan Beer Distributors / Beverage Alliance): Regional beverage distributor in the Northeast/New York metro area with adjacent distribution capabilities. Compares in regional scale, New York operating geography, and overlapping on-premise customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Whiskey2Wine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empire-merchants-north
• Instagraminstagram.com/whiskey_to_wine

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Merchants North