Kelle Swanson

Doll Distributing

OUR MISSION STATEMENT: "Building Brands. Building Relationships."​ Merlin & Edith Doll founded Doll Distributing in 1965, purchasing Simmons Distributing of Hastings, Nebraska, with a starting inventory of 2,260 Budweiser cases, 33 Budweiser kegs, 355 Goetz cases and seven (7) tap accounts. On December 23, 1966, Merlin and Edith purchased Michaels Distributing of Council Bluffs, Iowa, inventorying 2,179 Budweiser cases, 152 Budweiser kegs, and nine (9) Michelob kegs. Doll Distributing, Inc. sold about 40,000 cases of Anheuser Busch and 12,000 cases of Grain Belt, along with servicing twenty-four (24) tap accounts using three (3) trucks and a van. Merlin developed a new beverage trailer in 1973. This trailer was designed to be pulled by a one-ton pickup. At the time most beer was being delivered in straight trucks. On April 21, 1988, Doll Distributing, Inc. took over the Red Oak territory. This expanded Doll Distributing, Inc. to eleven (11) counties from its original three (3) counties. On December 14, 2006, Doll Distributing LLC combined the operations of the original Doll Distributing, Inc. and Fred Nesbit Distributing Company in Des Moines, Iowa. Today, Doll Distributing LLC serves approximately 2,500 customers in Southwest and Central Iowa. Doll Distributing LLC added the Grinnell location in 2007, the Spencer location in 2010, and the Worthington, MN location in 2015.