Dive Brief:
- US Foods has announced plans to acquire Wisconsin distributor Dierks Waukesha. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though it is expected to wrap Dec. 31.
- Dierks employees will come onboard at US Foods in addition to Dierks CEO Kevin Musser and Thomas Muehl, one of Dierks owners.
- Dierks generates sales of about $120 million annually.
Dive Insight:
US Foods will be able to better serve the Upper Midwest through Dierks' distribution network and the company's current distribution center in Menomonee Falls, WI.
"Dierks has been a top food service provider for restaurants throughout the area since 1963, and you don’t stay in business that long without doing things right," Russell Scott, Midwest region president of US Foods, told Food Business News.
US Foods is on the move since its failed merger with Sysco earlier this year. US Foods started to bounce back with a new campaign, "Just Taking Off," a company revamp that includes "more innovative and exclusive Scoop items that help foodservice operators explore new food trends while satisfying consumer demand for healthy and flavorful menu options," Meat + Poultry reported.
In June, US Foods announced that it would be closing its distribution center in Severn, MD, which was expected to cost about 350 jobs.