Zaandam, The Netherlands / Columbia, Maryland (USA), March 2, 2001 – The Ahold foodservice subsidiary U.S. Foodservice in the United States has signed a letter of intent to acquire Mutual Distributors, Inc.
Mutual is a broadline distributor in central and south Florida with annual sales of approximately USD 300 million. The company, headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, services over 4,200 accounts, primarily restaurants, schools, universities and health care institutions, with a range of food and related non-food items. Mutual is also a Certified Angus Beef brand distributor.
Remarks by Jim Miller, President & CEO of U.S. Foodservice
‘We look forward to welcoming Mutual into the U.S. Foodservice family,’ said Jim Miller, President & CEO of U.S. Foodservice. ‘Mutual has a strong tradition and history as a family-owned business and we intend to maintain its unique presence in its current markets.’
‘The recent combination of U.S. Foodservice and PYA/Monarch created an ideal partner for Mutual,’ said Herman Lewis, Chairman of Mutual. ‘We look forward to filling the U.S. Foodservice void in the central and south Florida regions.’
U.S. Foodservice
U.S. Foodservice is the second-largest food distributor in the United States with annualized sales of approximately USD 12 billion and a nationwide reach through its 57 business centers. The company markets and distributes a wide range of national and proprietary brand items to over 200,000 foodservice customers, including restaurants, hotels, healthcare facilities, cafeterias and schools.
U.S. Foodservice acquired PYA/Monarch, a broadline foodservice distributor operating in the southeastern U.S. with sales of approximately USD 3 billion in December 2000.