UNFI Acquires Trudeau Foods

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the equity interests of Trudeau Foods LLC from Trudeau Holdings LLC, a portfolio company of Arbor Investments II LP. 

Trudeau Foods is the largest Minnesota-based distributor of natural, organic and specialty food products. Upon closing, Trudeau Foods became a wholly owned subsidiary of UNFI.

“This acquisition is the latest step in our strategy to grow our market share and deliver a complete basket of specialty, natural and organic products to our customers,” said Steve Spinner, UNFI’s president and chief executive officer. “We are excited to welcome Trudeau Foods to our organization. Both companies have a tremendous history of commitment to servicing their customers, and we are enthusiastic about the growth prospects for this market.”

Trudeau Foods serves more than 600 customer locations, including chain and independent grocers, wholesalers, and meat markets in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan’s upper peninsula. Trudeau Foods carries a full range of fine-quality and specialty gourmet meats, frozen foods, dairy, bakery, deli, seafood and dry grocery items under a wide breadth of national, regional and private label brands.

UNFI carries and distributes more than 65,000 products to more than 27,000 customer locations throughout the United States and Canada. The company serves a wide variety of retail formats, including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the foodservice channel. UNFI was ranked by Fortune from 2006 to 2010 and in 2012 as one of its “Most Admired Companies”; winner of the Supermarket News 2008 Sustainability Excellence Award; recognized by the Nutrition Business Journal for its 2009 Environment and Sustainability Award; and chosen by Food Logistics Magazine as one of its 2012 Top 20 Green Providers.