RNDC Files Chapter 11 to Wind Down With Over 100,000 Creditors

Republic National Distributing Company filed for Chapter 11 on July 26, 2026 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, case 26-90737, to sell its remaining markets and wind down what is left of the business.

Why it matters: RNDC is winding down, not reorganizing, so receivables from the filing entities are now claims rather than payables.

RNDC filed to finish a sale, not to reorganize

The petition caps a year in which the Atlanta-based distributor sold off most of its footprint.

• RNDC’s own supplier memo says the court process exists to keep working with parties interested in acquiring its other markets and to conduct “an orderly wind down of our remaining operations.”
• RNDC announced its California exit in June 2025 and has since sold markets to Reyes Beverage Group, Columbia Distributing, Martignetti Companies and Breakthru Beverage Group, which the company says preserved more than 5,000 jobs.
• RNDC has a commitment for financing from certain of its lenders to support the business during the case, and any priority that facility carries over trade debt will depend on court approval and the terms of the financing order.

Over 100,000 creditors and $300M in top unsecured claims

RNDC checked the petition’s broadest brackets, reporting assets of $500 million to $1 billion against liabilities of $1 billion to $10 billion.

• Proximo Spirits holds the largest unsecured claim at $93.92 million for trade debt and litigation, and RNDC’s 30 largest unsecured claims together exceed $300 million.
• Empower Annuity Insurance of America is listed at $62.4 million, and Reyes Holdings holds a contract claim the filing lists as undetermined.
• RNDC indicated on its petition that funds will be available for distribution to unsecured creditors, which beats the usual answer in a liquidating estate, though that checkbox is not a projected recovery rate.

Six RNDC joint ventures stayed out of the filing

Check which legal entity your invoices actually name before you write anything down.

• National Distributing Company, Inc., which merged with Republic Distributing in 2007, is not a debtor in the case.
• RNDC’s joint ventures in New York, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky sit outside the filing as of the petition date, and the Alaska joint venture is the only one included.
• The automatic stay generally does not reach a receivable owed by a non-debtor affiliate, though a debtor can ask the court to extend that protection, so confirm the obligor against the docket with counsel before you pursue collection.

What to do now

Suppliers who shipped into RNDC’s remaining markets are now working a claim rather than an invoice, which is the scenario a nonpayment policy exists to absorb. The sequence below tracks the standard Chapter 11 recovery options for creditors, and your own counsel should confirm every deadline against the docket.

1. Sort every open invoice by legal entity against the debtor list in case 26-90737, because claims against non-debtor RNDC affiliates follow a different path.
2. File your proof of claim through Omni Agent Solutions, the court-appointed claims agent, and calendar the bar date as soon as the court sets it.
3. Pull the payments RNDC made to you in the 90 days before the July 26 petition date, because the estate can pursue them as preferences, and ordinary-course and new-value defenses commonly reduce that exposure and can defeat it outright.
4. Notify your trade credit insurer of the filing, then contact Securitas to confirm whether your policy covers this receivable, subject to credit limits, notification requirements, and policy terms in place at the time of the filing.

Disclaimer:
This blog post is meant to be informative and provide helpful tips and insights into credit insurance policies. It is not meant to supersede any policy requirements. Please consult your credit insurance policy for all requirements including claim filing deadlines and required documentation.

Since 2004, Securitas Global Risk Solutions, LLC has helped clients develop trade credit and political risk transfer solutions. As an independent brokerage, Securitas is focused on developing comprehensive solutions that meet client needs, ensuring a complete understanding of policy wording and delivering excellent responsive service. If you want to understand how trade credit insurance can protect your business, contact Securitas Global Risk Solutions to speak with a specialist.