Hattiesburg, MI-based wholesale food distributor and restaurant supplier, Merchants Foodservice, has announced its acquisition of E.G. Forrest Co.. E.G. Forrest, a food distributor headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will help Merchants increase its coverage and distribution area.
“We are excited about welcoming our new customers into the Merchants family and expanding our customer base in the area,” explained Andy Mercier, Merchants President and CEO, in a statement. “We look forward to serving the independent restaurant community of North Carolina.”
The main reason for the acquisition noted by Merchants was that E.G. Forrest will help expand upon the more than 6,000 customers held by the company in ten Southeastern states. Merchants currently owns four state-of-the-art distribution facilities, and a fleet of multi-temperature tractor-trailer units. Finalized on May 6, the deal provides that E.G. Forrest will fold select assets into the Merchants distribution facility and warehouse in Newberry, South Carolina.
“Our company is proud to join another strong, independent and family-owned business to continue serving the E.G. Forrest customers in the customer service-oriented business approach we’ve maintained for nearly a century,” added Louis Forrest, CEO of E.G. Forrest.
According to the company, Merchants is ranked 13th in sales volume among the approximately 2,600 food distribution companies in the United States. 2015 sales reached a high of nearly $650 million.
In addition to the facility in Newberry, other distribution centers are located in Jackson, Mississippi; Clanton, Alabama; and Tifton, Georgia.
