Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 12/21/15


US Foods has agreed to acquire foodservice distributor Dierks Waukesha in Waukesha, Wis., as part of a plan to expand its presence in the Upper Midwest, the Rosemont, Ill.-based food giant announced in a news release.

Dierks Waukesha serves more than 3,500 foodservice customers in Northern Illinois, Upper Michigan and Eastern Minnesota and has served restaurants, schools and institutional organizations since 1963. The company posts annual sales of about $120 million, the announcement noted. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The deal is the first for US Foods since its proposed merger with Sysco Corp. dissolved this summer in the wake of U.S. government scrutiny over antitrust concerns. The Federal Trade Commission had won approval from a federal court in Washington, D.C., to block the merger, which Sysco then terminated in late June.

US Foods said it would go back to its growth-by-acquisition strategy soon after the deal collapsed. The new parent company now plans to continue serving customers from the Dierks center in Waukesha and its existing distribution center in Menomonee Falls, Wis.

At least two members of Dierks’ upper management team – including CEO Kevin Musser – will join US Foods along with Dierks employees who will continue to service customers. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2015.

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