Karen and Alan Bressler, Karl Bressler, AGAR
From the origins of supplying meats to the Chinese community in the 1940s to now one of the largest family-owned independent broad line food service distributors in the region, AGAR of Taunton, Mass., has made its mark in New England.
What makes AGAR unique is their commitment to the independent and family-run restaurant. AGAR has long served the needs of the operator and has made it their business to not only supply these small operations with great center-of-the-plate products but to advocate for them as well.
While AGAR does supply a handful of restaurant chains, their main focus is providing for operations such as pubs, pizza and sub shops, steak houses, and Asian
and other smaller operations. AGAR staff members’ knowledge of meats and other proteins in the field is very unique. AGAR representatives gain knowledge about these products through regular attendance at AGAR University.
AGAR is New England’s largest independent food distributor and the 13th largest in the United States. The company is a major supplier of meats, poultry, seafood and grocery items as well as dairy products, non-perishables, non-food items, janitorial supplies and small wares.
AGAR is now a third-generation business, owned by the Bressler family. AGAR was founded by Karl Bressler in 1940 and continued on with his son, Alan, and now Alan’s daughter, Karen.
In 2000, the company built a 285,000-square-foot facility in Taunton, to lay the foundation for their growing distribution business. And in 2010, in the middle of a depressed economy, AGAR completed a 50,000-square-foot expansion to help further the business and create more efficiencies.
