In today’s consolidated industry, highlighting members of the middle tier is significant. The three-tier distribution system is instrumental in ensuring product safety, tax collection and preventing market domination from any one tier. To pay tribute to these crucial players in the beverage alcohol industry, Beverage Wholesaler has put together our second annual Distributor Best Practices Awards. This second year is continuing the success of the awards program, honoring five companies who have demonstrated innovation in running efficient, successful operations.
As an extension of the existing Control State Best Practices Awards, handed out by StateWays magazine, our awards recognize beer, wine and spirit wholesalers and brokers from around the country (both regional and national) who’ve shown innovation in several categories, including Best Warehouse Innovation, Best Technology Innovation and Best Logistics Innovation, just to name a few.
We had quite a few entries for our second year, and while we wish we could give everyone an award, our team hand-picked five winners. Through hard work and trial and error, the activations and programs these companies have put together have proven successful, which is exactly why we chose them. From AI innovations and new warehouse technology to logistics initiatives and transportation executions, these distributors have thought of it all.
We spoke with each of the winners to gain insight into why their programs were so successful, any challenges they encountered along the way and what they’re working on to make operations even better.
We congratulate all of this year’s winners! Each one will be recognized during a reception at the 2026 Beverage Alcohol Retailers Conference in June with an award plaque, along with access to a press release template to promote their win.
In case you missed out on our second annual awards or are interested in entering again next year, mark your calendars for the 2026 Distributor Best Practices Awards, with entries opening in May. For more information, visit bevinfogroup.com/beverage-wholesaler/distributor-best-practices-awards/.
It’s crucial for employees to regularly learn new aspects of the job and improve themselves to not only help better company operations, but also to bring new ideas to the table to increase productivity.
This is why Columbia Distributing developed a Lean Leader Certification program with a focus on real-time improvements in the workplace.
Launched in 2023, the in-house Lean Leader program uses Lean Knowledge Transfer tools to coach Columbia teammates through a 12-week certification course in which they earn their Lean Leader Yellow Belt Certification. Each Lean Leader must develop a Kaizen (Good Change) for their department or team and run it through to completion in time for an Executive Presentation on their results.
Through the course, they learn and practice 31 skills in Lean Process, Leadership and ADKAR Change Management.
“Watching teammates from different departments and locations apply those tools to real challenges and deliver measurable change has been incredibly rewarding,” says Columbia Distributing CEO Chris Steffanci. “Since launching, we’ve certified 84 White Belts, 93 Yellow Belts (with 20 more in training) and one Green Belt — and every one of them is driving improvement in how we work and lead.”
Building on the success of the Lean Leader Certification program, in 2025, Columbia launched their White Belt Certification through their online Learning Management System (LMS). This is an introductory curriculum to Lean principles created in-house with collaboration from Lean Leader Yellow Belt graduates.
The White Belt Certification features an interactive 12-course curriculum with videos and testimonials. Each course has a short quiz and scoring a 90% or above on the final cumulative exam awards the student with a White Belt Certification.
This new White Belt Program is intended to drive the Continuous Improvement mindset deeper into the front lines of the organization as well as create an additional development program for its teammates. Those who achieve the White Belt Certification are then eligible to enroll in the in-person Lean Leader Yellow Belt Certification.
“Continuous improvement isn’t just something we teach — it’s how we run the program itself. Every class gives us new ideas to refine and evolve the curriculum,” Steffanci says.
“We recently introduced our White Belt Certification to engage more frontline teammates earlier in their development, and we’re building an internal Green Belt program for those ready to go deeper. Continuous improvement has truly become part of Columbia’s DNA — and we’ll keep investing in programs that help our people and our business grow stronger together.”
The certification program has created a culture of continuous improvement across Columbia Distributing, leading multiple departments to create more standardizes processes, increased frontline training and support, as well as increased culture and leadership.
“Since we launched the program in 2023, Lean projects have produced over $2 million in bottom-line savings through smarter inventory management, waste reduction and process standardization,” notes Steffanci. “We’ve seen measurable gains in safety, accuracy and consistency across our operations.”
Steffanci explains a few examples of company growth due to the certification program’s success.
“Our Branch Slotting Optimization improved from 68% to 97% across 14 warehouses, ensuring products are positioned where they’re most needed,” he says. “Kaizens focused on managing days-on-hand and reducing out-of-code inventory have maximized space and cut waste. Others tackled supplier and retailer billbacks, closing gaps on short-coded invoices and breakage. With nearly 100 Kaizens tracked each year, these small improvements continue to compound — creating a better workplace for our teammates and strengthening our bottom line.”
And the program will only continue to grow with time.
“Creating real pathways for development has been a passion for our team from the start,” says Steffanci. “This program helps our teammates grow into stronger leaders — not just by teaching Lean tools, but by building skills they can use in any career: presentation, time management, KPI tracking, communication and accountability.”
Transportation is one of the most important aspects of a successful distribution system. Without proper transportation, you can’t get your product where it needs to be.
For a distributor as large as Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, it’s not always easy to keep things running smoothly. Working with over 1,600 suppliers and distributing over 11,000 brands, the company has faced several supply chain challenges over the years, including limitations related to tracking and monitoring the movement of goods from production facilities to distribution centers and ultimately to retailers and customers.
This lack of visibility had far-reaching consequences, as it impeded Southern Glazer’s’ ability to address disruptions promptly, leading to delivery delays that impacted customer satisfaction. That’s when they turned to Ryder to revamp their inbound transportation and implement RyderShare, a leading-edge visibility and collaborative logistics platform.
This new transportation solution led to significant improvements in visibility, accountability and efficiency throughout the company’s supply chain. RyderShare has revolutionized Southern Glazer’s’ operations and collaboration with suppliers and carriers by offering real-time visibility.
Since partnering with Ryder, the company has seen a 50% increase in productivity, 2X labor efficiency savings, improved visibility of freight moving across their supply chain and an improved on-time performance rating of 98%. They were even able to optimize their freight spend by nearly 15% in the first year and an additional 8% in the second year.
“At Southern Glazer’s, we strive to provide best in class capabilities to our suppliers and customers,” says Diego Fonseca, vice president, supply chain and logistics at Southern Glazer’s. “To us, best in class transportation means great service, low costs, accountability and traceability. We are pleased that this innovation, in partnership with Ryder, has been able to deliver in these areas, driving improvement across the end-to-end supply chain.”
Due to the distributor’s increased visibility over their supply chain, Southern Glazer’s is now able to deliver to their customers in a timely manner. This has led to higher customer satisfaction, an increase in repeat orders and new business.
“The RyderShare Track and Trace Platform provides our warehouse and commercial teams with real-time visibility into purchase order data and delivery statuses, enabling proactive planning for receiving, smarter inventory prioritization and reduced risk of shortages, even when expedited shipments are required,” says Fonseca. “With more predictable inbound shipments and carrier self-scheduling, appointment rework has decreased significantly, unlocking greater throughput capacity during peak sales periods.”
According to Fonseca, the gains that Southern Glazer’s has received since implementing RyderShare have primarily enabled teams to reinvest time into historically under-resourced processes, resulting in greater inventory accuracy rather than direct labor cost savings.
“From a broader freight spend perspective, the Ryder solution has delivered nearly a 10% cost reduction since implementation by allowing us to utilize the best cost, service and technology partners to service our business,” Fonseca says.
Southern Glazer’s plans to continue to work with Ryder going forward to improve their processes and drive even greater results.
As new supply chain and transportation issues arise, it’s important to have a collaboration that works for your business to not only resolve challenges, but to successfully execute the right solutions for those challenges.
Warehouses are the heart of a wholesaler’s operation ─ making warehouse innovations crucial to a distributor’s success. Warehouse discrepancies can impact efficiency, costs and, most importantly, customer satisfaction.
A wholesaler as large as Breakthru Beverage Group must be regularly implementing warehouse innovation to stay competitive within the industry. That’s why the company launched its SEAL Continuous Improvement Team in October 2023.
Breakthru Delaware launched the SEAL Continuous Improvement Team to unlock operational efficiencies across the organization. Since its inception, the SEAL team has delivered impressive results, including streamlining processes and fostering cross-functional collaboration.
“Since our SEAL Team’s inception, we’ve successfully resolved nearly 90 issues across both Sales and Operations,” says Tim Danning, executive vice president of Breakthru Delaware. “Our focus remains on striking the right balance between maintaining continuity and fostering innovation. We actively invite new stakeholders to join the team, recognizing that fresh perspectives are essential to continuous improvement.”
The SEAL Team’s goal is to enhance communication, solve operational challenges and build trust between teams. To ensure all voices are heard and collaboration thrives, the SEAL Team abides by the following set of guiding principles:
• Create a safe environment for all to participate
• Focus on the future, not the past
• Assume positive intent
• No overtalking or sidebar conversations
• Allow others to talk and share opinions
• Turn-taking
• Constructive comments only
Each SEAL meeting concludes with clearly defined action items, assigned owners and agreed-upon follow-ups to ensure accountability and progress.
Approximately 25 team members serve on the SEAL Continuous Improvement Team at any given time, with representation from every department. Subject matter experts are brought in to offer insights and solve issues quickly and effectively. Members typically serve for at least one year, and about a dozen have been part of the team since October 2023.
Since launch, the team has addressed more than 25 key opportunity areas across the Breakthru Delaware business, including seven improvements specific to Warehouse Operations.
One standout example of the SEAL team’s success in the implementation of the FIFO (First In, First Out) process in the beer business. This initiative was developed to reduce out-of-code products and improve communication when beer inventory approaches its sell-by date. This program has been one of Breakthru Delaware’s largest operational successes to date.
Starting in January 2024, the warehouse started to track the sell by date for three high velocity beer items. As of December 31, 2024, the warehouse was tracking 26 items and has reduced the percentage of out-of-code cases from 32% to 1.5%.
“Looking ahead, our plans include developing an enhanced communication platform designed to enable genuine information flow, both top-down and bottom-up, throughout our front-line teams,” says Danning. “Through the SEAL Team’s efforts, we’ve already achieved meaningful process improvements and greater efficiency. Our next goal is to refine our communication framework to drive stronger engagement, deeper buy-in and an even more connected culture.”
“Winning the Best Warehouse Innovation award is a tremendous honor and a proud moment for our entire Breakthru Delaware team,” Danning adds. “Our goal has always been to enhance communication, solve operational challenges and build trust between our associates. This recognition reflects the collaborative spirit we’ve worked hard to foster, where innovation comes from truly working together. It’s incredibly rewarding to see that being celebrated.”
Technology is at the forefront of innovation at many companies across the beverage alcohol industry. Between Artificial Intelligence (AI), data, machines, computer systems and so much more, businesses thrive on efficient technology.
At Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), innovation is crucial in moving the distributor forward. That’s why they created eRNDC, a fully customizable and collaborative B2B e-commerce platform.
Customers, sales teams and suppliers can connect through a seamless, data-driven experience. Built with cutting-edge e-commerce and AI technologies, eRNDC allows users to shop, order and connect with ease—anytime, anywhere.
“eRNDC started as a simple idea in April of 2019 to connect our sales teams, supplier partners and customers on one united platform,” says Emily Xu, chief digital and information officer at RNDC. “Since then, we’ve grown the platform to surpass $1 billion in annual sales.”
In addition to eRNDC, in August of 2024, the company expanded its digital ecosystem with the launch of REDI (Republic Digital), a digital accelerator designed to help brands win over today’s tech-savvy customers. REDI simplifies engagement across the three-tier system, offering solutions that elevate brand visibility, drive growth and deliver results.
“These technology initiatives are not only driving real results but also reflect RNDC’s commitment to help our suppliers grow brands and stay ahead of the curve,” Xu adds.
As eRNDC adoption grows, so does the company’s understanding of customer behavior.
Data from the e-commerce platform has found that on-premise accounts search by category. Tequila, bourbon and champagne are the top searched-for categories. Meanwhile, off-premise accounts search by brand, with bourbon and tequila again topping the list.
Luxury and premium spirits also continue to trend upward. As far as wine goes, top categories include champagne, cabernet, chardonnay, pinot noir and sake.
These insights help RNDC’s teams and partners stay ahead of the curve and make smarter, faster decisions.
“Listening to our customers is how we keep evolving and growing the platform,” Xu says. “Today with over 80,000 customers in 27 states available on eRNDC, it’s helping hundreds of businesses operate more efficiently and make smarter decisions for product discovery and purchase.”
Xu also mentions that RNDC is hearing customers want to gain more insights to help them grow their business. Because of this desire, the company is focusing on adding AI-driven insights to make customers’ day-to-day operations easier.
“Our goal is to continue evolving eRNDC as the most intuitive and impactful platform in the industry,” Xu adds.
With REDI, RNDC is taking that transformation even further. REDI empowers brands to thrive in the digital space by simplifying media buying, enhancing marketplace visibility and providing actionable insights to guide strategy.
RNDC’s goal is to take the guess work out of impacting digital in supporting its suppliers. In a 2024 program, one major wine brand saw a 400% increase in GMV by leveraging REDI’s tools and expertise.
Together, eRNDC and REDI are redefining what’s possible in beverage alcohol—fueling progress, unlocking potential and giving everyone something to celebrate.
Large distributors face a myriad of challenges just to keep up with increasing demand. There’s a lot of pressure to pick, process and ship orders in a timely manner, ― which is no easy feat, no matter the company size.
For more than 20 years, Lucas Systems has been helping RNDC to optimize its distribution centers by providing warehouse voice picking and adjacent technologies. Utilizing different systems such as Jennifer™ and the Lucas Management Console, RNDC has doubled bottle picking productivity while also improving accuracy to an impressive rate of over 99%, according to a case study.
Recently, Lucas Systems introduced its Dynamic Pallet Builder technologies, which offer a dynamic and automated way for workers to build better pallets with optimal efficiency. Wholesalers can even tailor the technologies to suit their specific warehouse needs.
“It’s constantly and dynamically optimizing throughout the day,” said Lucas Systems CMO Ken Ramoutar in a news release.
The sophisticated software solution – which sifts through a myriad of requirements and data points – makes thousands of calculations per minute looking across relevant warehouse operations to determine the appropriate trade-offs needed to optimally pick, group, sequence and stack items on one or more pallets at a time.
Pallet-building recommendations consider a wide variety of variables including product size, weight, stacking rules, shipping regulations, worker travel distance, safety, route order, order priorities and more.
Lucas Systems customer, Veritable Vegetable, uses Dynamic Pallet Builder to better optimize its delivery routes, according to the company. The California-based organic produce distribution company uses a two-part voice-directed picking process to split its pallets. In doing so, its pallet-building logic is tailored to precisely match its trucks and delivery operations.
“This personalized approach provides optimal efficiencies for us, and it also gives our customers more flexibility when placing orders. Both are extremely important,” said Veritable Vegetable owner and CEO Mary Jane Evans in the release.
The software solution, which seamlessly integrates with a wide variety of warehouse management systems, is unique because it’s highly configurable, aligning with a company’s specific operations and priorities. Additionally, the software solution dynamically recomputes optimal pallet builds in response to orders continually flowing into the warehouse.
According to Lucas Systems, Veritable Vegetable realized a 40% reduction in errors with a corresponding improvement of 60% less credits back to customers based on those errors. The system also reduced paper usage by 49% across Veritable Vegetable operations, which is equivalent to 23 less trees used every year, dramatically enhancing sustainability and supporting safety.
In addition to Dynamic Pallet Builder, over the past year, Lucas Systems executives have announced several ‘dynamically driven’ technologies to help warehouse operators quickly adapt to changing operational conditions or shifts in demand. These include Dynamic Work Optimization, which delivers more effective warehouse performance by considering in-the-moment complexities related to order priority, SKU clustering, proximity and warehouse layout.
There is also Dynamic Slotting, which applies machine-learning algorithms to recommend which products should be moved in the moment. It learns the spatial characteristics of a warehouse and predicts task time based on activity-level data. The model then continues to ‘learn,’ providing continuous optimization as conditions change.
These technological enhancements have provided great benefit to Lucas Systems’ customers and allowed the company to build on its 27-year legacy of making life easier for warehouse workers and managers.