Republic National Distributing Company, the second-largest alcohol distributor in the United States, filed conditional WARN Act notices on April 22 and 23, 2026 for 2,774 workers across six states. The notices precede an asset sale to Reyes Holdings under a purchase agreement announced on March 20, 2026. Most separations are scheduled to take effect within 14 days of June 21, 2026; the South Carolina facility closure is scheduled for July 5, 2026. The Reyes deal is expected to close by the end of May 2026, pending regulatory approval.
The state-by-state breakdown: Florida 1,046 across four facilities (Deerfield Beach 363, Jacksonville 169, Pensacola 121, plus a fourth site), South Carolina 451 at West Columbia, Virginia 428 at Ashland, Maryland 318 at Jessup, Colorado 320 at Littleton, and Arizona 211 at Phoenix. RNDC said in a statement that "Reyes is the right distributor to lead in these markets," and Reyes has indicated it would run the acquired businesses separately from its existing beer distribution operations.
This is the second wave of major workforce reductions at RNDC in eighteen months. The company laid off roughly 1,700 employees in early 2025 amid an industry-wide alcohol slowdown and the loss of major distribution contracts including Tito's Vodka. The 2026 cuts represent a strategic exit from eleven markets entirely, with Reyes absorbing the operational footprint and most likely a portion of the warehouse and driver workforce, but typically not corporate, finance, IT, or middle-management roles.
The conditional nature of the WARN notices means the final permanent job loss number will likely be lower than 2,774 once Reyes finalizes hiring decisions. Industry analysts expect the net structural reduction to land between 1,500 and 2,000 workers when separations conclude in July. The Reyes-RNDC consolidation is the largest US alcohol distribution deal in years and signals a broader pattern of three-tier system contraction as overall US beverage alcohol volume continues to decline through 2026.