A Great Local Behind-The-Scenes Wholesale Legend, Linda Ferguson Retires After 30 Years Of Invaluable Service In Aug-Sept. 2013 @ Forman Brothers, Then Republic Distributors, Then National-Republic Distributors: Thanks Linda, You Have Been Our Angle-On-Earth In The Local D.C. Wine Business! Cheers To You!!

A LOCAL WHOLESALE LEGEND is retiring in a month's time and I KNOW even without asking anyone now that Linda Ferguson that has worked " behind the scenes " in the local Washington D.C. wholesale business ( FIRST @ Forman Brothers a family-owned wholesale house, the SECOND @ Republic Distributors that bought Forman Brothers, and then now, THIRD : National Republic Distributors ). Linda is famous for everyone that ever dealt with any of the three of these wholesale companies. She was all of our saviors. she was always there, always the friendliest, most patient, most calm and professional - THE angle that saved us repeatedly in so many instances - maybe 25 billion times or more - that there is no way that we could ever recall all that she has done, has meant, has facilitated, has enabled, has smoothed the way for, has eased us into, has taken the edge and the worry and the gut-wrenching, the sweat, the fear, the doom and gloom sensation out of her quick-thinking, her manner at systematically focusing on the situation minutely from start-to-end to be sure that all avenues have been considered and addressed so that the very fewest errors could result from her actions combined with those contacting her, often last-minute, often panicked out-of-their-mind : LINDA, with her ease and her calm and her gentleness has addressed and readdresses and mended and solved and changed and " righted " so many situations and made them go off as if there had never been a bump or a roadblock at all. Thank you Linda, I thank you for myself as you have , over the years been invaluable to me. Let others chime in here with their praises. But for my part I thank you repeatedly from the bottom of my heart. Cheers to you and the thirty years that you have helped us all so selflessly! Cheers and bravo to you. Good luck, be well, know you are loved, appreciated and will be sorely missed. Take care, Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn


Taunya, your mom meant the world to me, to everyone, still does, she's the secret for so much of all our combined successes in the wine world. Once she saved me as I had to get an order in for Schneiders and she painstakingly typed in for me fifty or so codes and the number of bottles to be delivered, last-minute as always, and we did this together, slowly, methodically, accurately - and the order was delivered - and I was saved! This happened all the time, for everyone, ... your mom was and is the heart, soul, the personality, the mom, the protector, the savor, the identity and the person you have to think of, that you do think of - each and every time that you think of Forman Brothers, of Republic Distributors, of Republic National distributors.   ...   at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits where I have managed the wine department for years now I have spoken to your mom often on the phone : she would say : " Yes, Cleveland Park ... " and we would be off. Yesterday I was talking to our new local rep for the company, Soren, and I said to him that I wrote this story more for you, Linda's family so that you might know all of this, understand what she has meant to so many. We all know it, we want you to know it, for it to be written, a record for the invaluable, selfless, professional and incredible service, help, guidance and good nature and humor your mother represents : a real treasure. Bravo, thanks for responding, give your mom an big hug and a kiss for me. I am hoping that she will not mind later today when Soren ( I also spoke to another local rep for the company about this yesterday, Andrew - he, too may take a picture or two to be included here? with her permission? ) takes some pictures of her at her desk so that I may include them here for all to enjoy, too. Cheers, Happy Friday, August 23rd, 2013 : look forward to meeting you someday. Come by the store anytime.  Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn