Republic National Distributing Company was once one of the largest liquor distributors in the country.
Now, the Texas-based liquor distributor is preparing to sell its Texas-based operations to Reyes Beverage Group, one of the arms of food and beverage distribution giant Reyes Holdings, headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois.
The changes could affect more than 1,900 workers across Texas, including 372 in Bexar County. Republic announced that it would stop employing workers at six facilities after it pulled out of the state in June.
But there could be a path forward for many workers as Reyes Beverage Group takes over.
“This is a step intended to provide advance notice and to comply with any potential legal requirements and does not represent final employment decisions. Many RNDC associates may have the opportunity to continue their employment with Reyes, and there are no immediate changes to current roles or operations,” read a statement from Republic provided last week.
According to a WARN Notice on April 23, Republic said the final decision would lie with Reyes Beverage Group, which could not be reached for comment as of publication.
“We are providing this notice to you at this time since there is no guarantee that Reyes will provide employees with an offer of employment as discussions remain ongoing, and it is not yet known who will be needed to continue employment with the company.”
Employers with 100 or more full-time employees are required to submit a notice to the state under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act of 1988. Those changes in employment are listed online by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Republic has begun the process to sell its operations in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. to Reyes Beverage Group.
Texas isn’t just another state, Republic is waving the white flag on its home turf. The company is headquartered in Grand Prairie with its Schertz facility, located less than a mile north of U.S. Interstate 35.
Reyes Beverage Group distributes in 12 states. In 2026, Forbes estimated that Reyes Holdings was the sixth-largest privately held company in the United States.
Republic’s struggles come amid a turbulent time for the liquor industry. Changing consumer preferences after the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced demand for alcoholic beverages.
In a Q&A earlier this month, Anahi Rivera, chief operations office and co-founder of Humano Tequila, said that power in the industry had shifted away from distributors like Republic and to big liquor brands like Bacardi.
