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European Imports buys Jonz Foods |
By Anna Wolfe - 10.10.2008
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CHICAGO--Gourmet food distributor European Imports Ltd. started off the month with an acquisition. It acquired the distribution business of Jonz Foods Inc. on Oct. 1, making this European Imports' fourth acquisition in the past two years.
Jonz Foods Inc. is located in the suburb of Gurnee. This merger blends two companies with a combined 50 years of experience in the specialty food distribution business. It will give both companies' customer bases access to a whole new array of products, service and support.
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The deal was a good fit for European Imports, said Trish Pohanka, director of purchasing for European Imports. Jonz Foods services retail outlets with strong presence in the retail foodservice area in Illinois, and is particularly strong among stores that have home meal replacement, noted Pohanka.
For European Imports, the distributor picks up "several new lines and some new customers. We will be able to provide more products to our existing customers," said Pohanka. In all, European Imports will be adding 70 lines, including Stacy's Pita Chips, Pirates Booty, Great Skott, Frontera Soups and Suzie's Crackers, to its catalog. The deal enables European Imports to take these lines to the 40 states it services, she said.
Jonz Foods started moving everything to the European Imports warehouse here, noted Pohanka. And John Nizzi, who created Jonz Foods in 1977, joined the European Imports staff as a manager. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Gourmet News was unable to reach Nizzi before press time.
Back in May, European Imports entered the California market when it acquired specialty food distributor Made In France San Francisco Inc. May 5. European Imports' buying spree started in 2007 when it bought the brand name and distribution business of Babylon, N.Y.-based Gaeta Imports, which added to its kosher offerings, and then last October it acquired World-Delicacies.com in Dallas.
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