Gordon Food Service

Gordon Food Service
Company typePrivate
IndustryFood distribution
Founded1897
HeadquartersWyoming, Michigan
Key people
Rich Wolowski(CEO)
ProductsBulk food, delivery
RevenueIncrease $12.9 billion (2016)
Number of employees
20,000[1]
Websitegfs.com

Gordon Food Service (GFS) is a foodservice distributor based in Wyoming, Michigan serving the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest regions of the United States and coast-to-coast in Canada.[2] It also operates stores in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, and Wisconsin.[3]

According to Forbes, GFS is the 22nd-largest privately held company in the United States.[4] Its biggest competitors are US Foods and Sysco.

History

In 1897, Isaac Van Westenbrugge, a 23-year-old Dutch immigrant, started a butter-and-egg delivery service using a horse-drawn cart and $300 borrowed from his brother. In 1916, Ben Gordon joined the company and later married Van Westenbrugge's daughter, Ruth. In 1942, Ben and his brother Frank renamed the company Gordon Food Service.[5] Since then, Gordon Food Service has grown to become the largest privately held and family-managed foodservice distributor in North America. Gordon Food Service serves a wide variety of foodservice companies across industries, ranging from restaurants, to healthcare, education, and more.

Wholesale distribution

GFS delivery truck, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Gordon Food Service has 14 distribution centers in the U.S., located in Aberdeen, Maryland; Brighton, Michigan; Concord, North Carolina; Coppell, Texas; Houston, Texas; Imperial, Pennsylvania; Kenosha, Wisconsin; Lithia Springs, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Plant City, Florida; Shepherdsville, Kentucky; Springfield, Ohio; Taunton, Massachusetts; and Wyoming, Michigan.[6]

In 1996, the company began a series of acquisitions in Canada, forming Gordon Food Service Canada.[7] It now has 9 distribution centers in Canada, located in Amherst, Nova Scotia; Boucherville, Quebec; Delta, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta; Milton, Ontario; Quebec City, Quebec; Rocky View County, Alberta, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Ajax, Ontario.

They deliver products via truck to more than 100,000 customers, including independent restaurants, long-term care facilities, hospitals, schools, colleges, and regional and national chain restaurants.[8]

Stores

Gordon Food Service opened its first cash and carry store in 1979. They were renamed GFS Marketplace in 1992 and rebranded to Gordon Food Service Store in 2014. As of 2023, they operate more than 175 stores across Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,Texas and Wisconsin.[9] The company began renovating many stores in 2019.[10]

References

  1. ^ "America's Largest Private Companies List". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Food Service Distribution Service Areas | Gordon Food Service". www.gfs.com. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
  3. ^ "Store Locations". Gordon Food Service Store. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
  4. ^ "Gordon Food Service on the Forbes America's Largest Private Companies List". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  5. ^ "About Us". Gordon Food Service. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
  6. ^ "Food Service Distribution Service Areas | Gordon Food Service". www.gfs.com. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
  7. ^ "A consistent brand for GFS Canada". can-restaurantnews.com. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
  8. ^ "About Us". Gordon Food Service. Retrieved 2019-09-27.
  9. ^ "Store Locations". Gordon Food Service Store. Retrieved 2019-09-27.
  10. ^ Martinez, Shandra (2018-03-02). "How Gordon Food Service is making over stores to draw Millennials". mlive. Retrieved 2019-10-02.