Warren, Michigan-based Lipari Foods has reached an agreement to acquire St. Louis, Missouri-based Swiss-American Inc., a specialty cheese solutions provider focused on retail deli.
This opportunity will further enhance its manufacturing division’s capabilities through its subsidiary The Deli Source, with a specific focus on expanding cheese offerings.
Founded in 1938 in St. Louis, Missouri, the Swiss-American team services more than 40 customers, including five of the top 10 retailers in the U.S., and has about 85 employees. Swiss-American globally sources more than 1,200 items from 22 countries and 20 U.S. states.
“We are excited to welcome Swiss-American into our family as we further enhance our cheese program offerings,” said Thom Lipari, CEO of Lipari Foods.
“We are committed to providing great products and service to our collective customers. Swiss-American is a trusted leader in the cheese industry, and we are excited to add their expertise into The Deli Source operation while adding the Lipari DSD expertise to the Swiss-American operation, providing greater opportunities for all of our customers.”
Joe Hoff will continue to serve as the leader for Swiss-American Inc.
“In Lipari we found a partner we could trust with the company’s legacy of exceptional customer service and quality products provided by the outstanding people at Swiss-American,” Hoff said.
“Together, our companies can realize significant synergies and growth that will ultimately lead to great value and exceptional service for our combined customers.”
Lipari Foods was founded in 1963 by Jim Lipari, who began his career delivering products from the back of his Buick station wagon. Today, Lipari Foods is an independent “perimeter of the store” distributor, delivering a range of quality bakery, dairy, deli, packaging, seafood, meat, grocery, foodservice, confectionery and convenience food and beverage products to more than 11,000 customers across 28 states.
For more information about the distributor, visit liparifoods.com/about.
