New Partnership Solidifies the Distributor’s Leading Presence in a Key Market & Strengthens Operations for the Future
ONTARIO, Calif—(BUSINESS WIRE)—
GS Foods Group, Inc. (“GS Foods”), a world class foodservice distributor owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC (“Highview”) and A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”), today announced its acquisition of Graves Foods (“Graves”), a leading foodservice distributor headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri.
With more than 50 years of industry experience, GS Foods encompasses a family of specialized companies that provides trusted food distribution and product solutions nationwide. The acquisition of Graves follows GS Foods’ recent acquisition of C&C produce, headquartered in Kansas City, and the opening of their Wright City, Missouri distribution center.
“Integrating Graves Foods into the GS Foods’ family solidifies our role as a leading operator in the Midwest,” said Sean Leer, CEO, GS Foods. “Together, we bring over 100 years of experience to the table for customers. We are excited to incorporate the Graves family into our leadership team knowing they share our commitment to providing the highest-quality products and best service in the industry.”
Founded in 1947, Graves Foods has established itself as a dependable source of foodservice products and services in the Midwest, serving Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, and Illinois. With decades in the market, Graves provides products and services to diverse sectors including healthcare, education, restaurants, convenience and hospitality.
“After many years of growth and expansion, Graves Foods is excited to reach another key milestone – partnering with a leading national food distributor that shares our company values,” said Dick Graves. “As a family-founded business, we, along with our experienced and dedicated team, take great pride in feeding the Midwest in a friendly and responsible way as any family would. GS Foods shares this philosophy and today’s combination will not only enhance our commitment to customers, but also strengthen our operations for the future.”
As part of the acquisition, the Graves family leadership team will join GS Foods and collaborate closely with the team going forward. Both companies expect a seamless transition for employees and customers alike.
“Graves Foods’ history of excellence and deep experience in specialty end markets make the business an ideal fit to join the GS Foods family,” said Steve Russell, Managing Director and Sr. Portfolio Manager, Highview. “We look forward to increased opportunities for the combined business as we continue to expand operations and build a connected, national nutrition supply chain.”
To learn more about GS Foods, visit: GSFoodsGroup.com. To learn more about Graves Foods, visit: Gravesfoods.com
About GS Foods Group
GS Foods Group (“GS Foods”) is a family of specialized foodservice distribution companies. GS Foods uses its sophisticated network of facilities to provide trusted food distribution and product solutions to specialized foodservice segments, including education, corrections, non-profit, business & industry, and healthcare. GS Foods’ independent subsidiaries, Good Source Solutions, Inc. and Gold Star Foods, Inc., collectively serve over 8,500 customers nationwide. GS Foods is owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC and A&M Capital Partners.
About Highview Capital, LLC
Highview Capital, LLC is a global private equity investment vehicle backed by a multi-billion dollar family office. The fund employs a flexible mandate and takes a long-term perspective on middle market businesses at an inflection point. Since 2017, Highview has deployed approximately $500 million of equity capital across more than 30 deals in industries such as business services, manufacturing, and distribution. Highview takes pride in our ability to partner closely with founders and management teams over the long term. For more information, visit www.highviewcapital.com
About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of approximately $2.9 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services. More broadly, Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $4.2 billion in total assets under management across four investment strategies, which maintains a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal, one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world.