Eagle Distributing Co. history

Budweiser was introduced to Eastern Tennessee in the mid 1880’s.

1930 Stuart P. Murray creates Atlanta Beverage Company during Prohibition selling NA beer and Canada Dry Ginger Ale- 1st employee is Adele Daher.

Following Prohibition, several companies distributed Anheuser-Busch products until 1946 when Smokey Mountain Beverage, owned by Chares Brown, took total control from Royal Crown Bottling.

1962 Busch Bavarian is introduced into the Atlanta market for the first time as Anheuser-Busch intoduces its first regional beer.

1964 Anheuser-Busch, Inc. becomes the first brewer in the world to brew and sell 10,000,000 barrels of beer in one year!

Ray moved his family from Clarksville to Lexington, Kentucky in 1975 as a partner in a Stroh/Schlitz operation.

1977 Anheuser-Busch Natural Light is introduced, ABC opens its first branch operation in Doraville and Charlie Hardy is chosen to be its GM. John Economos and Steve Craine meet for the first time at the Natural Light introduction meeting in downtown Atlanta.

His family held the franchise until 1983, when Raymond D. Hand purchased the company and rechristened it Eagle Distributing Company, Inc.

1985 ABC celebrates their first 1,000,000 CE sales month in August.

1990 ABC outgrows the Doraville warehouse and relocates to a brand new facility in Stone Mountain.

1993 Anheuser-Busch, Inc. opens their 12th brewery in Cartersville, Georgia.

1996 The Centennial Olympic Games make quite a splash in Atlanta and the Michelob brands expand to include seasonal offerings like Amber Bock, Honey Lager and Pale Ale.

2000 Eagle Rock Distributing Company is formed as John Economos and Steve Craine form a new, separate Company with a vision for the future.

2009 The Company purchases Dalton Beverage Company and merges it with ER-Rome to become Eagle Rock North Distributing Company.