The abrupt shutdown of Double Down Distributing, previously known as K&K Distributing, has created widespread supply challenges for local businesses, educational institutions, and healthcare providers across Modoc County.
For more than 30 years, K&K Distributing served as an essential wholesale and retail hub, supplying bulk goods and food deliveries to remote communities across the region. In January, long-standing owners transferred ownership of the Alturas-based operation to Staush Cederwall and Randy Bass, who rebranded the firm as Double Down Distributing. However, regular operations halted just seven months following the acquisition, leaving regional buyers without prior notice or alternative local delivery options.
The operational stoppage impacts a broad array of organizations, including Modoc Medical Center, local school districts, community groups such as VFW Post 3327, and numerous local eateries and retailers from Cedarville to Tule Lake. In a rural area like Modoc County, finding alternative sources presents a distinct hurdle: regional distributors located hours away routinely enforce high minimum order thresholds that individual small entities cannot meet independently.
Core Challenge: Modoc County’s rural isolation means alternate suppliers are hours away. Major regional distributors (such as Sysco, BakeMark, and Morning Glory) require minimum order sizes that individual small businesses cannot afford or store independentl.
In response, local business owners have begun taking collective action. Marina Solorio, owner of Marina’s Daily Dozen in Alturas, is organizing a cooperative purchasing alliance. Under this framework, local entities pool their inventory orders to satisfy the minimum thresholds of major suppliers, utilizing a single designated hub for consolidated drop-offs and distribution.
