Rosemont, Ill.-based US Foods plans to acquire Waukesha-based food distributor Dierks Waukesha for an undisclosed price.
US Foods has more than 25,000 employees at 60 locations across the country, and distributes more than 350,000 food products. A leading U.S. food distributor, it has about $22 billion in annual revenue. With the acquisition of Dierks, US Foods will expand its reach in the upper Midwest.
Dierks, a family-owned company, has more than 3,500 customers in Wisconsin, northern Illinois, upper Michigan and eastern Minnesota. They range from fine dining restaurants to school cafeterias. The company has about $120 million in annual sales. Dierks employees will join US Foods and continue to work with their customers from both the Dierks distribution center in Waukesha and the US Foods distribution center in Menomonee Falls.
Thomas Muehl, a co-owner of Dierks, and Kevin Musser, chief executive officer of Dierks, will also move over to US Foods to help with the integration. The acquisition is expected to close on Dec. 31.
“Dierks has been a top foodservice provider for restaurants throughout the area since 1963 and you don’t stay in business that long without doing things right,” said Russell Scott, Midwest region president for US Foods. “We are excited to build on the great reputation of Dierks and introduce its customers to the innovative products and best-in-class marketing, technology and business solutions that have made US Foods an industry leader.”
“US Foods has a lot to offer both our customers and our employees,” Muehl said. “I’m excited that the Dierks team will now be a part of this great company and for our customers to gain access to the expanded offering from US Foods that is sure to help them be even more successful.”
