HF Foods Group Inc., Greensboro, N.C., entered a merger agreement with B&R Global Holdings, Inc., City of Industry, Calif., resulting in B&R Global Holdings becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of HF Foods.

B&R Global Holdings, which began operations in 1999, is a food wholesaler and distributor for Asian restaurants in the United States. It serves approximately 6,800 restaurants in 11 Western states.

"With this merger, the combined company will be the largest distributor to Asian restaurants in the U.S.," says Zhou Min Ni, chairman and CEO of HF Foods. "With the combined resources of our two pioneering companies, we are well positioned to take advantage of the growing trend of food consumption away from home and of Asian cuisines in particular."

The combined business will serve in excess of 10,000 restaurants in 21 states.