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Empire is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free Workplace.

Our Story

We’ve always been glass half-full kind of people

That’s why from our very beginning, we’ve filled each day with passion and enthusiasm for this industry. Our philosophy is based on the simple mission of 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.

The family business

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 starts Empire with two trucks and a single warehouse in Atlanta, GA.
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.

Executive Leadership at Empire

Succeeding Responsibly

Everyone on the Empire team is committed to supporting and improving the communities, businesses and people we serve.

Full Service Printing

One more way we go the extra mile for our customers is with our in-house professional printing capabilities.

Sample our
service

Reach out with any questions you may have to see just how responsive, knowledgeable and downright friendly an Empire Representative can be.

Making a positive impact

Empire approaches our corporate social responsibility as a labor of love. We’re deeply committed and actively involved in uplifting the well-being of our Teammates, Communities and Business Partners because we enjoy making a difference.

That’s why we’re a proud supporter of the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.

Learn More