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The family business was founded in 1934. Robert joined the business in 1973, after graduating from the University of Kentucky. Since 1988, Robert has been the sole owner. He has expanded the family legacy from distributing liquor, wine, and beer in the state of Tennessee, to national distribution for alcoholic beverages that his company owns.

Robert’s career spans over 45 years in the beverage industry, and he is a former chairman and president of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA). In April of 2008, Robert was honored by WSWA with the Lifetime Achievement Award. He presently serves on the boards of WSWA (Washington, DC), SunTrust Bank Advisory Board (Nashville, TN), Cheekwood Board of Trustee (Nashville, TN), and iControl (Bethesda, MD). In 2014, he was inducted into the University of Kentucky Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. In 2001, he created the Research Fund for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in the UK Department of Psychology. More recently, he has established the Robert S. Lipman Graduate Fellowships in History and Psychology to enhance the recruitment of top graduate students to the University. Additionally, Robert is affiliated with numerous civic organizations in the Nashville area. He was honored by Community Nashville as a 2008 Human Relations Award recipient. In 2013, he was presented with the Nashville Public School Hall of Fame, Distinguished Alumni Award.