The Reyes Beer Division will enter its 10th market later this year with the planned acquisition of DET Distributing in Tennessee.
The transaction is expected to close in November. Beer Marketer’s Insights reported that the acquisition is valued at more than $400 million.
The addition of DET will add about 9 million cases and more than 5,000 customers to Reyes’ business. Key suppliers included in the deal include Molson Coors, Constellation Brands, Boston Beer Company, Mark Anthony Brands, Diageo, Heineken USA, Pabst, SweetWater, Lagunitas and Gambrinus.
Once under the Reyes umbrella, DET will operate as DET Beverages L.L.C., with the company maintaining warehouses in Nashville and Jackson, Tennessee.
“Adding Tennessee as our 10th market is really meaningful to us,” Reyes Beer Division CEO Tom Day said in a press release. “This business is all about people and relationships, something the DET and Reyes families and teams take to heart. We are excited to expand our partnerships with our current suppliers, build new ones and continue the great work and customer service the DET team has built with their retailers all these years.”
“As we’ve worked with and come to know the DET team, we’ve seen countless examples of our shared culture and values,” added Stephen Reyes, president of Reyes Beer Division East. “We’re looking forward to continuing their legacy and tapping into the expertise of their great team throughout this transition.”
DET Distributing dates back to 1951 when it was founded by E.E. Dettwiller, whose son Fred Dettwiller acquired the business in 1973. Fred Dettwiller led the company as CEO until his death in October 2021.
“My father was committed to building DET into a successful organization that would thrive long into the future,” A.K. Dettwiller, president, DET Distributing Company, said in the release. “He charted the company’s course that we continue to seek to maintain today; one that focuses on quality, family, integrity, and service. We are confident he would share in our conviction that Reyes Beer Division is the ideal partner to lead DET into our next chapter and ensure we continue to provide exceptional products and service to our customers throughout Tennessee.”
DET COO John Curley noted in the press release that the company “considered multiple partners,” however Reyes was “an ideal fit” due to “similar philosophy, values, and goals” and “legacy of success.”
A Reyes spokesperson said there are no plans to change DET’s senior leadership team.
Beyond Tennessee, Reyes operates distributors in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.