Reyes Buys Craft Distrib Windy City
Reyes Beverage Group has reached an agreement to purchase Windy City Distribution, the distributor of craft beers in Chicago that was founded by brothers Jim and Jason Ebel in 1999.
Windy City operates in eight northern Illinois counties with about 40 craft breweries.
Reyes’ Chicago Beverage Systems and Windy City will not integrate their operations. Windy City’s president, Bob Collins, and his management team will join Reyes. Chicago Beverage Systems distributes Miller, Coors and Heineken brands, among others.
Hooray! More consolidation! [sarcasm]
I remember hearing the story from the Ebel Brothers a few years ago about the origination of Windy City. Basically they had to start their own distribution company because no one in the corrupt Chicago market would distribute them. I don’t think it was their plan originally but was born out of necessity. The stories they told about the Chicago market at that time would make your hair stand on end….