Golden Eagle to be sold to Phoenix firm

The sale to Hensley Beverage Co., owned by Cindy Hensley McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain, is expected to be finalized in March. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Founded in 1974 by the late Bill Clements, Golden Eagle has branches in Buckeye, Casa Grande, Flagstaff, Show Low and Tempe.

Ginny Clements said she and her late husband were close to the Hensley family and that’s why she and her team approached them when they decided to sell the business.

“We felt Hensley is a highly respected organization … and cares a lot about their employees and the communities that they serve, like we do,” she said. “It was a natural choice.”

Golden Eagle has 430 employees and Clements said she hopes they will all be absorbed by Hensley.

“This, of course, is something that is entirely up to their management team,” she said. “We will certainly advocate for just that. We have been successful because of our wonderful employees and thank them for their loyalty.”

A Hensley spokesman said the company is “conducting our due diligence regarding this transaction.”

“Out goal is to develop a model that will, in the most efficient manner, provide the finest level of service to our customers,” said Douglas Yonko, vice president of communications. “It would be premature at this juncture to speculate on what that ultimate model will look like given that we have just begun the fact-gathering stage concerning out expanded market.”

Hensley’s takeover of Golden Eagle will make it one of the largest beverage distributors in the country. It is the largest in Arizona.

“Golden Eagle is a fine organization with deep Arizona roots that go back generations,” Hensley’s president and CEO Robert Delgado said in a prepared statement. “This is the kind of opportunity that does not come along often.”

The 60-year-old Hensley will rebrand Golden Eagle properties, said Andy McCain, chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

Hensley brands include Bud Light, Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, Goose Island and imports such as Stella Artois and non-alcoholic beverages. It was founded in 1955 by the late James W. Hensley and currently employs more than 800 workers.

Golden Eagle also distributes Anheuser-Busch products and non-alcoholic drinks.