Charlotte, NC – Tryon Distributing recently partnered with the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) for an awareness training to educate employees on recognizing and reporting the warning signs of human trafficking. Tryon’s efforts are part of a nationwide campaign to help combat human trafficking in communities across the United States.

“Human trafficking is a very real and very serious issue both nationally and right here in North Carolina.  When we heard about the NBWA’s initiative to train beer wholesalers on how to identify potential human trafficking situations, we knew immediately that we wanted to participate,” said President of Tryon, Ed Johnston.

According to the Charlotte-based anti-human trafficking group A Fresh Start, North Carolina ranks #11 in the nation for human trafficking, and Charlotte ranks #1 in the state. The Raleigh-Durham area and Wilmington are also high on the list due to the ease of access to multiple highways and interstates.

Johnston continued, “The initiative lines up with our core values of giving back to our community and doing the right thing. We applaud the work that the NBWA and A Fresh Start are doing to help stop human trafficking and are happy that we are in a position to support their efforts. It’s our hope that with our entire statewide sales and delivery teams now trained on how to spot the red flags of this terrible crime and how to report it safely, we can begin to help combat the problem.”

Beer distributors collectively visit more than 640,000 retail establishments across the country, including bars, restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, package stores, sports arenas, and grocery stores. They are uniquely positioned to combat this heinous crime given their access to locations at accounts often unseen by the public. The hardworking men and women of Tryon who visit hundreds of licensed retail locations each week, are now prepared to be an extra set of eyes and ears on the ground in the fight against human trafficking.

Tryon Distributing is a Charlotte-based craft beer and wine distribution company started 35 years ago with three people and has grown into a statewide distributor with 270 employees. They were awarded Craft Beer Wholesaler of the Year in 2018 by the National Brewer’s Association. They are proud to be family-owned and operated.