Nick Mehall has left Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) after three years as CEO of the US distribution giant.
On Wednesday 26 February, RNDC announced that Mehall stepped down from the position effective immediately. Bob Hendrickson will serve as interim CEO beginning Monday 3 March.
“As a board, we are committed to further accelerating RNDC’s growth in 2025 and as a respected leader with a deep understanding of RNDC’s business, culture, and the evolving marketplace, we are pleased to have Bob transition from commercial advisor to the board to this interim role,” RNDC board member Marc Sachs said.
“While the industry continues to face headwinds and unprecedented change, we are confident that his experience, operational expertise, and strong industry relationships will provide steady leadership and the stability our supplier partners and customers seek as we move forward.”
Mehall joined RNDC in 2017 as chief financial officer and was named president and CEO in February 2022.
The leadership change comes after a January report that Tito’s Handmade Vodka would be ending its distribution agreement with RNDC in California in favour of Reyes Beverage Group effective 1 April. Earlier this week, Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman announced that it would be doing the same starting 1 May.
Hendrickson previously served as chief operating officer and executive vice-president at RNDC. He began his career at E&J Gallo before spending a decade as vice-president of sales and marketing at Julius Schepps.
Republic Beverage Company was created following the merger of Julius Schepps and Tarrant Company in 1997, which was later merged with the National Distributing Company to form RNDC in 2006.
“RNDC has always been about people – our associates, our suppliers, and our customers,” Hendrickson said. “I am honoured to step into this role and work alongside our talented teams to ensure continuity and continued success during this transition.”
RNDC will search for a permanent CEO.
News of the change comes just one day after the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) released its year-end SipSource report, which found spirits depletions fell by 3.7% while revenue decreased by 4.3% in the US. One factor, the report noted was the rise of spirits-based pre-mixed drinks, “with many producers opting to distribute these products through beer networks rather than traditional wine and spirits channels,” SipSource analyst Dale Stratton said.
Reyes Beverage Group primarily distributes leading beer brands such as Coors Light, Miller Light, Heineken, Modello and Blue Moon, though it also works with Sazerac brands such as Fireball, Buffalo Trace, and Wheatley Vodka.
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Author: Ted Simmons
