CHICAGO, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Produce Alliance, a company specializing in providing fresh produce procurement and distribution services to foodservice clients, today announced that it has taken a strategic minority investment from Buyers Edge Platform, one of the nation’s largest tech enabled, Group Purchasing Networks for restaurants and other foodservice operators. As part of the investment, the two companies will form a strategic alliance to enhance produce purchasing options, food safety, quality and pricing for customers, growers, and distributors of both Produce Alliance and Buyers Edge Platform.
“Our mission is to be the leading produce management and procurement company by providing our clients with unprecedented service, superior access to fresh produce, commodity expertise, innovative supply chain solutions and long-lasting relationships,” said Produce Alliance Chief Executive Officer George Melshenker. “We are thrilled to partner with Buyers Edge to help us achieve that mission. This partnership will enhance pricing and create logistics efficiencies for our end user customers, create more business opportunities and enhance technologies for our distributors, and expand market opportunities for our growers.”
"The vision of Buyers Edge Platform is to bring the foodservice industry’s most successful companies together to create new value for foodservice clients and the industry at large,” said John Davie, CEO of Buyers Edge Platform. “Our partnership with Produce Alliance represents an opportunity for operators to improve their produce procurement practices and for our existing distribution and grower/shipper partners to expand their businesses.”
Specifically, through the partnership, Produce Alliance and Buyers Edge will share access to cutting edge technologies, resources, food safety standards, and best practices. Combined, the two partners represent more than $6 billion in fresh produce purchasing power, enabling them to pass on cost savings to foodservice companies while increasing the market size for their distributors and growers. Produce Alliance and companies on the Buyers Edge Platform will continue to operate independently.
The Buyers Edge Platform has acquired shares from retiring Produce Alliance partners Mike Williams, Joe Collier, and Scott Weber. Produce Alliance will continue to be led by its current management team.
“I’m very excited to partner with Buyers Edge Platform,” said the Produce Alliance President Melissa Ackerman. “This strategic partnership is an important step as we build the next generation of our family business.”
About Produce Alliance:
Produce Alliance represents their customers to the grower/shipper community, providing access to the highest quality fresh produce under contracts which assure supply while managing cost and risk. They specialize in providing fresh produce procurement and distribution services to food service clients across North America, the Caribbean and beyond. Produce Alliance manages an alliance of 50+ independently- owned specialty distributors of fresh products. Each distributor is carefully selected and commits to full compliance with our audited distribution, purchasing, and category management programs designed for client success.
About Buyers Edge Platform:
The Buyers Edge Platform is a network of GPO, Supply Chain and Technology companies that serves stakeholders throughout the foodservice supply chain. The Buyers Edge Platform leverages over $10 Billion in buying power and purchasing data to offer contracts, data services and expertise to operators across all foodservice segments, including independent restaurants, multi-unit restaurants, lodging and hospitality, colleges and universities, casinos and healthcare facilities. Furthermore, the Buyers Edge Platform serves as a hub for data integration opportunities for manufacturers, distributors and other foodservice industry partners, who are able to utilize the Platform.