Quirch Foods Announces Expanded Environmental, Social and Governance Commitment

CORAL GABLES, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quirch Foods today announced an expanded commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles and practices. In 2020, the company launched a CEO-led executive steering committee to define and oversee plans to achieve long-term, strategic and data-driven goals to address a range of social and environmental issues and build customer and consumer trust. Quirch Foods's specific ESG initiatives include:

• Active participation in roundtable discussions of supply chains with National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), and formation of relationships with other leading global groups committed to regulating, preserving and improving global sourcing.

• Increasing to 98% the proportion of Farm-Raised seafood sourced from Better Aquaculture Practices (BAP)-certified fisheries.

• Working with manufacturers to convert retail packaging to recyclable materials to reduce waste. Quirch Foods intends to package over 90% of all of its brands in eco-conscious packaging by 2028.

These commitments build on past successes and continued efforts to position Quirch Foods as a global leader in terms of sustainability within the food space. In the past year, for example, the company reduced its food waste by 57% through enhanced vigilance and systemic management. Additionally, the company has sponsored employee volunteer events engaging with local foods banks for food donations.

“Quirch Foods has been making significant strides in building our wholesale, services, and brands by putting a heightened emphasis on social/environmental priorities, including the well-being of our associates and the communities we serve," said Frank Grande, President and CEO of Quirch Foods.

“Leading by example is a big part of our culture,” continued Grande. "As we move forward, we have a robust plan to continue pursuing real solutions to help address climate change, improve food sourcing and energy preservation as a company, and creating an innovative, conscious and diverse workplace promoting equal opportunity, with a zero tolerance for discrimination."

Quirch Foods has been owned by affiliates of Palladium Equity Partners, LLC, a middle market private equity firm with nearly $3 billion in assets under management, since 2018. Palladium supported Quirch Foods’ purchase of Butts Foods in May 2020 as well as the merger with Colorado Boxed Beef in October 2020.

About Quirch Foods^®

Quirch Foods is a food distribution company servicing ethnic and national grocers as well as foodservice distribution customers across the United States, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Quirch Foods operates approximately 480 refrigerated trucks and over 2.2 million square feet of distribution space among 21 facilities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Illinois, Texas, Washington, Oregon, and Puerto Rico. Quirch Foods is the exclusive distributor of High River Angus^®, McKinneys Beef^®, Panamei Seafood^®, Diamond Reef^® seafood, KikiriQuirch^®, Jackson Farms™, Mambo Foods^®, and is a licensed distributor of Certified Angus Beef^® and Chiquita^® frozen fruits.

Through IQ Foods’ Suspended Fresh™ program, customers leverage innovative technology and processes to buy and store proteins for a later delivery, with the product arriving fresh, never frozen.

Quirch Foods operates through a family of well recognized companies. For more information visit quirchfoods.com, coloradoboxedbeef.com, pacfoods.com, ejfoodsnw.com, buttsfoods.com, greatfishco.com, helmsmanfreightsolutions.com, and phoenixfl.com.

To learn more about our brands, visit: highriverangus.com, panamei.com, diamondreefseafood.com, and mambofoods.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or call [phone].