Large alcohol wholesaler in South Carolina to permanently close, lay off hundreds
A major alcohol distributor is permanently closing its only South Carolina location. It means hundreds of jobs lost in the Midlands.
Republic National Distributing Company, which operates at 410 Foster Brothers Drive in West Columbia within the Lexington County Industrial Park, is one of the nation’s leading wholesale beverage alcohol distributors and specializes in wine and spirits, according to the company’s website.
The closure will occur between June and July of this year, according to a recent Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification sent to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. The notice went out Thursday.
As a result, 451 people will be laid off from their jobs.
The company has been in the community for nearly two decades, and invested more than $10 million in a major expansion in 2015, when it nearly doubled the size of its facility. Lexington County and state officials at the time applauded the investment, and former Gov. Nikki Haley called in a “big win.”
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 11:52 AM.
