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A major wine distributor plans to leave California and lay off nearly 2,000 employees this fall, citing changes in the industry that have made the home state of the U.S.’s wine country an “unsustainable” market amid a national downturn.
Republic National Distributing Company, one of the biggest alcohol wholesalers in the U.S., announced it would leave the state — and its few thousand California-based brands — last month after experiencing rising costs, supplier changes and “industry headwinds,” CEO Bob Hendrickson said in a statement.
RNDC is just one company facing financial strains, as experts warn the wine industry must adapt to consumer preferences. The announcement comes after years of declining wine sales nationally, including in California…