Ferraro Foods: Acquires Botticelli Food Service

Piscataway / NJ. (ff) Ferraro Foods Inc., a leading distributor of Italian specialty food products in the U.S., announced the acquisition of Botticelli Food Service, the distribution arm of Botticelli Foods, a family-owned importer of high-quality Italian ingredients. The deal further solidifies Ferraro Foods’ leadership in supplying pizzerias and restaurants across the tri-state area, a crucial market for the company.

With this acquisition, Ferraro Foods also adds hundreds of new customers to its expanding client roster, enhancing its reach and ability to deliver top-tier service and an expanded product portfolio to pizzerias and restaurants across the «pizza power region» of NY, NJ and CT. The transaction includes the conveyance to Ferraro of Rudy + Son, a Queens, N.Y. food distribution business acquired by Botticelli earlier this year.

«Botticelli Food Service and their loyal customer base are a perfect fit for what we do at Ferraro Foods,» said Dan Hill, CEO of Ferraro Foods. «Like Botticelli, we maintain a family business culture that is totally focused on providing outstanding service and the highest quality products. By consolidating resources such as fleet, warehouse and sales processes, we will deliver even more value to our customers.»

Botticelli Food Service operations are based only ten minutes from Ferraro’s recently expanded flagship distribution center in Long Island and will be consolidated there, enabling Ferraro to leverage its new capacity and provide enhanced service to both existing and new clients.

«As a strategic business decision, this deal is a home run for Ferraro,» Hill continued. «We are adding hundreds of customers in a region where we’ve been growing rapidly. Botticelli’s solid fundamentals and stable customer base make this an excellent addition to our portfolio.»

Divestiture of Casa Foods Division

In a strategic move concurrent with the Botticelli acquisition, Ferraro Foods is also announcing the sale of its Casa Foods division back to legacy owners, the Fornino family. This sale represents a purposeful shift in Ferraro’s strategy as the company seeks to optimize its distribution footprint within its priority markets.

«Ferraro’s growth strategy requires us to concentrate resources in other areas, redirecting assets to support our long-term objectives,» said Hill. «Both deals announced now make Ferraro a nimbler company and better positioned to quickly expand in proven markets where we see additional opportunities.»

The Fornino family will assume ownership of the Casa Foods facility in Utica and retain its more than 80 employees, and its local customers. Ferraro is committed to ensuring a smooth transition with no impact on the business operations of either company.