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Bezac Acquired by Johnson-Lancaster

Johnson-Lancaster and Associates has acquired Bezac Equipment Company. Both companies are foodservice equipment and supplies dealerships.

Based in Youngstown, Ohio, Bezac had sales of $20.8 million in 2018, making it the 69th largest foodservice equipment and supplies dealer in the country according to FE&S’ 2019 Distribution Giants Study. Bezac, which had $17.93 million in sales in 2017, primarily focuses on chain restaurants, including those in the quick-service segment. Johnson-Lancaster and Associates reported $149 million in 2018 revenues, making it the 12th largest foodservice equipment and supplies dealer in the country. In 2017, FE&S recognized Johnson-Lancaster and Associates with its prestigious Dealer of the Year Award.

The company will now go to market as Bezac, a division of Johnson-Lancaster and Associates. Longtime Bezac executives Bill Custer and Leonard Mochtyak will lead the division as president and vice president respectively. The company has 13 employees, all of which are expected to remain.

“Johnson-Lancaster continues to grow mostly organically but with the addition of some intelligent acquisitions that are a good fit both strategically and culturally,” said Kristen Horn, vice president of operations for Johnson-Lancaster and Associates. “Bill Custer and Leonard Mochtyak have developed an excellent team and culture which has resulted in them having an outstanding reputation with their customer base. We feel we both can learn from each other and we will make both Bezac and Johnson-Lancaster better.”

In addition to organic growth and acquisitions, Johnson-Lancaster and Associates has shown a past interest in pursuing other unique avenues to support its growing business. For example, in 2017 Johnson-Lancaster and Associates partnered with the owners of Massachusetts-based B&G Restaurant Supply to open a joint office in Westwood, Mass.