Harbor Wholesale Foods, Lacey, Wash., acquired a significant portion of Food Services of America’s (FSA) Seattle, Wash., business, including its 250,000-square-foot distribution facility in Kent, Wash. 

Harbor will assume a portion of the customer base currently served by the Kent facility, including roughly 1,700 independent restaurant operators throughout 10 counties in Western Washington. FSA Seattle’s 700-person executive leadership and associates will be joining Harbor.

“The acquisition of a portion of FSA’s Seattle business aligns well with our existing culture and values,” says Justin Erickson, chief executive officer of Harbor. “We’ve grown our business over the years through our dedication to serving our independent and locally owned customer base. Our success is the result of empowering our team members to best serve our customers at every interaction. We’ve been serving Northwest communities for 96 years, and the FSA Seattle business provides a platform to expand our presence and positive influence throughout the region.”

“As our company evolved, we shifted our focus to retail grocery and convenience store distribution. As foodservice has become the primary focus of convenience stores over the past 10-plus years, we’ve expanded our capabilities in foodservice to retain and grow our position as the Northwest’s leading convenience store distributor,” says Erickson.

Harbor’s Kent location will continue to be led by the current FSA executive leadership team. 

“The goal is to make the acquisition as seamless as possible, much of how Harbor and FSA do business today will not change,” says Jim Winkle, chief financial officer of Harbor.

“We bring industry-leading technology, operational excellence and competitive buying power. We put our customers first, and we’re committed to providing food and solutions to help their businesses flourish,” says Erickson. “As a local distributor, we have a unique opportunity to partner with local suppliers, providing a unique mix of products vs. the larger broadline distributors. The restaurant industry is more competitive than ever, and operators are looking for a way to stand out from the crowd.”