Matador Distributing, LLC

While Red Bull was already an established brand and booming trend in Europe in the late 1990s, it was virtually unknown in the U.S. After all, Red Bull was introduced in Europe in 1986 but it wasn’t until 1997 that Red Bull North America was founded and began its Red Bull distribution on this side of the ocean.

At the same time that Red Bull was opening its first U.S. office in California, Jim Rubenstein, President of James Edward and Companies, Inc., the management company for Matador Distributing, LLC, Chaparral, LLC and Viva Distributing, LLC, was working as a broker of leading brands in the beverage and food industry.

Jim was intrigued by the “Red Bull phenomenon” that was taking over Europe. He was sure that in America, like Europe, it would become more than just a popular drink—it was going to emerge as one of the fastest-growing trends in the U.S. market.  Jim had been in the beverage industry for over 20 years and had never seen a brand quite like Red Bull; it was amazing to him that one product could support the entire brand and still experience continued growth.