Reinhart Foodservice, LLC, announced Friday that the firm, based in Chicago, will purchase the assets of the Black River Produce distribution business through an agreement with Earth Brothers, Ltd.
Black River Produce, a wholesale distributor based in North Springfield, serves 2,000 clients in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and New York.
The deal is set to go through at the end of October, according to a press release from the company.
Black River Produce was founded by owners Mark Curran and Steve Birge in 1978. The company employs 187 workers, according to Vermont Business Magazine. In 2015, revenues topped $75 million — more than double from a decade ago, the magazine reports.
Reinhart has a warehouse in Essex and 110 employees in Vermont.
Information about how the acquisition will impact workers has not been released. It is also not known what Reinhart is paying for Black River.
Jeff King, president and Chief Operating Officer of Reinhart, said in a statement that Black River Produce “has strong management focused on delivering the highest quality local products and service to its customers.”
“The Black River culture, product strategy as well as the proximity of its territory to key Reinhart markets, makes this acquisition a strong fit for both companies,” King said. “We look forward to working with the team at Black River Produce to grow the business in the New England area and beyond.”
Mark Curran and Steve Birge said in a statement that they are “fully committed to our customers’ needs and providing them with the best locally-sourced products they can find.”
“We are proud to join our operations with Reinhart so that we can combine their national leverage, supply chain expertise and operator solutions with our passion and focus on local solutions for our growing customer base,” they said.
Reinhart Foodservice was founded in 1972. The company distributes fresh produce, proteins ingredients, supplies and equipment from 29 centers across the United States to independent and chain restaurants, schools and healthcare facilities.
