July 1964: A beer distributorship in Raleigh, N.C. hires H.H. “Boots” Mims as a sales manager.

End of 1964: Customers and brand representatives encourage Boots to take over the company when the owners sell it. With help from his parents, he purchases the renamed Mims Distributing Company at Fairview Road and oversees four trucks and 17 employees.

1966: Boots’ identical twin brother, Joe Mims, joins the company as partner and sales manager after having worked in sales since 1960. Mims Distributing moved to a larger warehouse on Tarheel Drive in North Raleigh.

1974: The company sees enormous growth as Miller Brewing introduces Lite Beer. The warehouse expands as demand soars.

1978: Mims Distributing moves to a new 32,000-square-foot facility on Harrod Street.

1980s: The company purchases Famous Brands, which sells high-end wine and champagne brands, including Dom Pérignon.

1991: Boots’ son, Chip Mims, joined Mims Distributing to work in the company’s sales office and in the warehouse, where he spent time in both wine and beer delivery. Chip later becomes CEO.

1995: Joe’s son, Jeff Mims, joins the company, as Chip is promoted to general manager. Jeff later becomes chief sales officer.

1996:  Mims Distributing acquires the rights to sell Miller products in the Durham area, which adds four counties to its territory.

2000: The company divests its wine division to focus solely on its beer portfolio. It’s craft brew portfolio expands following the “Pop the Cap” movement in North Carolina that allowed the legal alcohol content in beer to increase from 6 percent to 15 percent.

2007: Miller Brewing presents Mims Distributing with the High Life Achievement Award. This honors distributing companies for exceptional quality control, sales performance, retail execution of displays and features, operational excellence, and overall brand performance. Magic Hat also awards Mims Distributing with its Newbie of the Year honor given annually to its best new distributor.

2011: Mims Distributing moves to a newly-renovated 144,000-square-foot, sustainability-focused facility on Ebenezer Church Road that incorporates enough acreage to accommodate up to a 50 percent expansion. It has one of the largest private solar rooftop systems in Wake County, which offsets about 30 percent of the building’s energy needs. The facility wins many awards for its many sustainability features [LINK TO SUSTAINABLITY PAGE]

2012:  Mims Distributing has more than 125 employees, 15 tractor trailers and six side loaders. It expands its distribution to non-alcoholic beverages such as Arizona Iced Tea.