RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vistar, a division of Performance Food Group, Inc. (PFG), has announced it will acquire Liberty Distribution Company, LLC (Liberty). The acquisition brings together two distributors of candy, snacks and beverages. Liberty is based in Chandler, Arizona, with additional locations in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and Memphis, Tennessee. Liberty was founded in 1998 by Jim Schweikert and is one of the nation’s leading distributors of candy and snacks to national and regional retail establishments. The transaction is expected to close by the end of June.
Liberty employs approximately 150 people at its three locations. Vistar is very excited to partner with the Liberty team, to expand products and services, and to leverage the exceptional capabilities of both organizations.
George Holm, president and CEO of Performance Food Group, stated, “Liberty is a well-respected organization whose values are aligned closely with Vistar and the entire PFG organization. Serving customers with unique requirements is something Liberty does extremely well and Liberty will be an integral part of Vistar’s continued success.”
Patrick Hagerty, president and CEO of Vistar, added, “We have long admired Liberty. They pioneered the availability of candy and snacks to non-perishable retailers. This category is now common place in retail industries where it was virtually unknown just 15 years ago. We are excited to be adding the entrepreneurial spirit of Liberty’s management team and we are confident that they will be instrumental in helping Vistar meet its long term growth strategy.”
James Schweikert, founder and CEO of Liberty, noted, “I am pleased and proud that we have been successful in bringing these two great companies together. This transaction ensures that the commitment to integrity, customer service and execution, which have been the hallmarks of Liberty Distribution, will continue into the future with the greater financial strength and market breadth that Vistar provides.” Concurrent with this transaction, Jim Schweikert has announced his decision to retire from Liberty; however, he will remain in an advisory capacity as Liberty joins the Vistar team. Liberty will remain a standalone company under the direction of Robert Armstrong, who is currently the Chief Operating Officer and will become President at the close of the transaction.
About Performance Food Group:
Performance Food Group Company is the parent company of the leading family of foodservice distributors – Performance Foodservice, Vistar, and PFG Customized Distribution. Through these three segments, it delivers over 94,000 national and proprietary branded food and food-related products to more than 115,000 independent and national chain restaurants, quick-service eateries, pizzerias, theaters, schools, hotels, healthcare facilities, and other institutions via its 64 distribution centers and 12 Merchant’s Mart locations across the United States. Altogether, Performance Food Group Company’s family of distributors offers outstanding service with a wide variety of high quality products that, along with the strength of our industry wide relationships and expertise, helps customers run their businesses successfully. For more information, visit www.pfgc.com.
About Liberty Distribution Company:
Founded in 1998, Liberty Distribution Company works with numerous world-class retailers with products in over 50,000 locations. They specialize in the distribution of candy, snacks and other impulse items to retailers who do not traditionally offer food products. Liberty’s commitment is focusing on delivering outstanding, value added distribution services through their integrity, superior customer service and execution.