Empire Distributors Careers, Benefits, Review

Starting from from two trucks and a warehouse in Atlanta, GA in 1940, Empire is now in its third generation of family leadership. But David and Michael Kahn, today’s company leaders, have something their grandfather and founder, Max Kahn, never had – the backing and resources of Berkshire Hathaway. This partnership has allowed us to grow rapidly while constantly investing in our distribution facilities, fleet, technology and people so we can offer our brands every advantage possible.

80 Years of Empire

• 1940: Max Kahn begins Empire Distributors, Inc.
• 1942: Max leaves his flourishing business in the hands of associates to fight in WWII.
• 1984: Empire expands into North Carolina via acquisitions of multiple distributors.
• 2010: Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway entered an agreement with Kahn Ventures making Empire and Empire NC subsidiaries of Berkshire and its distribution company, McLane Company.
• 2010: Empire expands into Tennessee via acquisition of Horizon Wine & Spirits.
• 2012: Empire continues its expansion into Tennessee with the acquisiton of Delta Wholesale Liquors (Memphis, TN).
• 2013: Empire North Carolina expands into Winston Salem and Greensboro markets with the acquisition of Wisdom Beverage to become a statewide, full-service beverage distributor covering all 100 counties in NC.
• 2014: The company takes a giant leap westward to serve Colorado via an acquisiton of Baroness Small Estates.
• 2017: Empire makes its third acquisition, B&T Distributing Company in Knoxville, Tennessee, to become the largest, statewide spirits and wine wholesaler in Tennessee. Empire consolidates all of the acquired companies into Empire Distributors of Tennessee, Inc.
• 2017: Empire acquires Volio Vino, Inc., a fine wine wholesaler in Denver, CO. In conjunction with Baroness Small Estates, Empire Distributors of Colorado, Inc. forms, becoming one of the top five distributors in the state.
• 2019: Empire invests in a new 602,000 sq. ft. state of the art facility to house their Georgia logistical operations and corporate headquarters in Austell, Georgia.

From our very beginning, we’ve filled each day with passion and enthusiasm for this industry. We have one simple mission: being the very best at Building Brands and Developing People. Our brands and our Teammates are the backbone of Empire, and we strive to get better every day.

Teammates enjoy working with other committed, passionate and knowledgeable people. We think of our people as Teammates rather than employees because we share common goals and compete together to achieve victories for our brands and customers.

Through 80 years of growth we continue to be a family operated business – and we do our best to treat all of our Teammates like family. We always encourage conversation and collaboration. We support our people by continually investing in our facilities, delivery fleet and technology to make everyone’s job safer and more productive. And we value work-life balance and seek ways to enrich our Teammate’s lives outside of work as well.

Empire Distributors distributes beverages in 4 states: Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Colorado. We strive to become truly ingrained in every market we serve in order to provide local knowledge along with our national scale and wealth resources.

Georgia

Home to our corporate headquarters in Atlanta, we serve the state with 4 premium distribution centers in Savannah, Tifton, Augusta and, of course, Atlanta.

Tennessee

We are proud to be the largest state-wide distributor in Tennessee, with four premium branch locations in Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville and Memphis, helping us to reach customers all over the state.

North Carolina

Serving all 100 counties, Empire Distributors has North Carolina covered from the Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks with five convenient branch locations in Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Wilmington.

Colorado

Empire Distributors has proudly been “building brands and developing people” in Colorado since 2014, providing a premium selection of brands from our state-of-the-art facility in Denver.

These are just a few examples of our robust benefits program.

Health Insurance - Teammates and their dependents enjoy a range of coverage options including Medical with Prescription, Dental and Vision coverage.

401(k) Retirement Plan - We help you plan for your future with Company Matching and immediate vesting on all contributions. 

Paid Holiday and PTO - Empire provides paid holidays and paid Personal Time Off to all teammates.

Life, AD&D and Disability Insurance - Get peace of mind with Company Paid Group Life Insurance, AD&D Insurance and Short and Long-Term Disability coverage. 

Family Perks - Teammates and their families enjoy a wide range of discounts and special rates for entertainment, attractions, rental cars and more.

Legal Shield - Teammates are eligible for Identity Theft Protection plus legal assistance for everyday matters like home buying, debt resolution and more.

Aflac Plans - Empire offers a range of Aflac supplemental plans for Accident, Cancer, Hospital, and Critical Illness.