Tryon Distributing

Tryon Distributing is a wholesale distributor of fine wines and craft beers serving all 100 counties of North Carolina from its headquarters in Charlotte. The company was founded in 1985 by Brad Johnston and his college roommate Steve Hedberg and remains family-owned. It employs 287 people and supplies more than 5,000 customers from 199 suppliers, drawing on over 193,000 square feet of distribution space across two facilities, in Charlotte and Durham.

The core of the business is the wholesale distribution of fine wines from independent domestic and international wineries and craft beers from independent breweries. In 2024 Tryon became the first major wholesaler in North Carolina to sell hemp beverages, creating a new product category for the company. It has since added cannabis beverages, a category in which its entire sales team is certified.

The company describes its origins as a failing, money-losing operation that it built into an industry leader. It was named Wholesaler of the Year by the American Brewer's Association in 2018 and Distributor of the Year by the Duckhorn Portfolio in 2024.