Wine distributor explores sale of Alaska operations, requiring a potential layoff notice filed for 160 Juneau workers

By THE ALASKA STORY

July 10, 2026 – The largest private-sector WARN notice filed in Juneau in years relates to approximately 160 employees, although the filing is tied to the proposed sale of a major beverage distributor’s Alaska operations rather than the closure of a business.

RNDC Shared Services LLC, part of Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), submitted a conditional Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice on July 6 to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development and Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon. The notice identifies Sept. 4, 2026, as the earliest date on which employment losses could occur if a pending transaction is completed.

The official WARN notice is available on the Alaska Department of Labor website:

https://jobs.alaska.gov/RR/notices/RNDC-Conditional-WARN-Act-Notice.pdf

According to the filing, RNDC is exploring strategic alternatives for portions of its business and is in discussions with Columbia Distributing regarding the potential acquisition of its Alaska operations. The affected facility is located at 8420 Airport Boulevard in Juneau.

The filing is explicitly described as “conditional,” meaning no final decision has been made and the transaction may not occur. The notice was submitted to comply with the federal WARN Act, which generally requires employers to provide 60 days’ advance notice of certain mass layoffs or plant closings.

If the sale moves forward, employees at or reporting to the Juneau facility could experience an employment loss. However, the notice also states that many workers may receive offers of employment from Columbia Distributing or one of its affiliates, while some employees involved in transition services or other corporate functions could remain with RNDC for a period of time.

The Alaska Department of Labor’s WARN database lists approximately 160 affected employees, making it one of the largest potential private-sector workforce transitions reported in Juneau in recent years.

While that number is significant for a community the size of Juneau, the filing should not be interpreted as a permanent loss of 160 jobs.

Wine and spirits distribution remains an essential part of Alaska’s retail supply chain. Bars, restaurants, grocery stores, liquor stores and other licensed retailers throughout Southeast Alaska still require regular deliveries, regardless of who owns the distribution business. If Columbia Distributing completes the acquisition, it would likely need much of the existing workforce to continue operating those routes and warehouse functions.

As a result, the most likely outcome is that many employees would continue working under new ownership, although some could experience temporary layoffs, changes in employment status, or disruptions during the transition. The WARN filing provides advance notice while those details are negotiated.

The notice is consistent with a broader restructuring effort underway at RNDC, one of the nation’s largest wine and spirits distributors. During the past two years, the company has sold or agreed to sell operations in multiple states as it reshapes its distribution network. Columbia Distributing, a major Pacific Northwest beverage distributor, has been acquiring several of those regional operations.

The Washington and Oregon portions of Columbia’s transaction with RNDC closed earlier this summer. The proposed acquisition of the Alaska business remains subject to completion of the transaction and any remaining approvals.

For now, the future of the Juneau workforce remains uncertain. But unless the sale falls through without another operator stepping in, the WARN filing appears to signal just a change in ownership more than a disappearance of the jobs themselves.