Carroll Distributing Among Brevard’s Most Philanthropic Companies: Support Fallen Veterans, Children in Need

The Carroll Distributing Company remains a family-run enterprise dedicated to community

150 employees that make up the Carroll team are intent on keeping customers happy and their community thriving

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Carroll Distributing has been the premiere beverage distributor for Brevard County for 63 years and is committed to serving the Space Coast through advocating for responsible alcoholic beverage consumption, education, event and community support, and the arts.

During August, the Carroll Distributing Company pledged more than $3 million over three years out of their state beverage tax dollars to benefit children in need through Better Together which is dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect with an alternative to foster care.

“We feel so incredibly privileged to collaborate with Better Together in backing such a commendable cause here in our county,” said Justin Saenz, vice president of sales for Carroll Distributing.

“Their team is second to none, and Carroll Distributing holds firm belief in both the quality of their efforts and the positive influence they will bring to Brevard.”

Supporting Families of Fallen Veterans

Recently, Carroll also presented scholarship checks to families of fallen veterans and first responders as part of the “13 for 13” program.
Throughout a 13-week period, which started June 12, Carroll Distributing will contribute an additional 13 cents to Folds of Honor for every case of Budweiser or Bud Light sold.

This initiative not only pays tribute to the 13-year partnership between Folds of Honor and Anheuser-Busch but also commemorates the 13 folds of the American flag that honor our fallen veterans.

As a result, Carroll Distributing anticipates generating enough to provide for two local scholarships with this program, solidifying its position as the leading Folds of Honor fundraiser nationwide among over 400 wholesalers contributing towards the cause.

The “13 for 13” program is a testament to their unwavering commitment to the community, reinforcing their dedication to making a positive impact.

“We are thrilled to launch the ‘13 for 13’ program in support of Folds of Honor,” said Mike Dougherty, Vice President and General Manager at Carroll Distributing.

“Giving back to our community has always been a top priority for us, and we are honored to contribute to such a worthy cause that uplifts the families of our fallen heroes. We have employed dozens of veterans at Carroll Distributing, so this cause hits close to home.”

Folds of Honor, a respected non-profit organization, provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled service members and first responders.

Powerhouse Company

Beer drinkers in Brevard should be extremely grateful to Carroll Distributing Company because were the Melbourne-based beer distributor not to exist, there would be precious few of their favorite brews in the county.

Thanks to Carroll, millions of cases of beer make their way around to pubs, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores in Brevard, and to Indian River County, too.
This is Carroll’s 63rd year in Brevard, and since then has expanded into a powerhouse of all things beer, and now the liquor side of the industry.

Every day, ten trailers replete with beer arrive at the company’s 165,000-square-foot headquarters off Viera Boulevard, where the golden liquid is unloaded for quick delivery in the 30 Carroll trucks that hit the road every day.

The distributorship takes extreme pride in making certain Brevard customers enjoy the freshest, highest quality beer everywhere.

Behind the truck lies a complete support system that features the most extensive, effective and comprehensive computer-based beer distribution system in the country, because the folks at Carroll do not want their customers to get anything but the best in beer.

From the early days, the company has been deeply connected with the Anheuser Busch family of products. While Budweiser and its relatives remain an important part of the picture, the picture has evolved to meet consumer interest in craft beers.

“It’s not like it was in the old days when we just carried Bud, Busch and Michelob,” said Dougherty. “We now stock 30 different breweries and more than 2,000 SKUs. Busch now has tons of craft breweries.”

Because Busch has so energetically embraced the craft beer movement, Carroll stocks brands such as Hawaii’s Kona, Washington State’s Elysian and California’s Golden Road, the woman-owned brewery that wows drinkers with its Mango Cart brew.

Number One Distributor

As for Sunshine State beers, Carroll is the Number One distributor in the country for Landshark, made by Margaritaville Brewery in Jacksonville.

The local breweries are part of the Carroll scene, too, and beer from hometown breweries such as Intracoastal are extremely popular among Carroll’s customers.

In 2020, Carroll for the first time ventured into the liquor side of the industry with the addition of the portfolio of Cutwater, a San Diego craft distillery specializing in vodka, bourbon and tequila.

Despite the decades that have passed, Carroll Distributing remains a family-run enterprise. Joanne Eubanks took over the helm after her stepdad Chad passed away.

In the 1980s, Joanne’s son Mike joined the business. The next generation, Mike’s daughter, Hayden, is already learning the ropes from her father.
The family also remains deeply connected with the community it serves. From Carroll Distributing’s early days, the company has been famous for its generosity to local nonprofits.

“We try to do as much as possible,” said Dougherty.

Finding a fundraiser that has not benefitted from Carroll’s largesse can be tough, for the company is always glad to help with sponsorships, prizes and beer.
Take, for example, the annual, 100 percent-volunteer-run Grant Seafood Festival. Carroll has proudly sponsored the massive event for decades.

Come Festival time in February, the company ships five truckloads of beer for the two-day event and none of it comes back. Charities that range from the National Kidney Foundation to the Humane Society of Brevard count on Carroll for help when it comes to raising money through special events.

As part of the Budweiser family of distributors, Carroll gives back on a national level through programs such as Military Family Support, which provides scholarships to children and spouses of soldiers killed or disabled while serving their country.

Community Resource

Budweiser’s Family Talk About Drinking delivers a community resource for parents to prevent underage drinking, and its Better World initiative has donated $515 million to charities for disaster relief, economic development, education, environmental projects and assistance to the military.

Like the family that started it and continue to operate it, Carroll Distributing Company is not keen on fanfare about themselves. Instead, the 150 employees that make up the Carroll team are intent in keeping customers happy and their community thriving.

   

The post Carroll Distributing Among Brevard’s Most Philanthropic Companies: Support Fallen Veterans, Children in Need appeared first on Space Coast Daily.

Read at the Space Coast Daily