In a deal sure to send shockwaves through the foodservice equipment industry, multiline manufacturer Middleby Corporation has acquired QualServ Solutions, a foodservice equipment and supplies dealer. Terms of the deal were not made available.
“This acquisition expands the Middleby product offerings to include kitchen fabrication, and will allow us to provide integrated equipment solutions with our existing portfolio of brands and products,” said Selim A. Bassoul, Middleby chairman and CEO.
“The addition of QualServ will also enable us to further expand the services we provide to our global restaurant chain customers,” Bassoul said in a release announcing the deal. “These customers want logistical and engineering solutions in both the back and front of the restaurant and with QualServ we have the ability to provide advanced data analytics and broader services beyond equipment sales. QualServ has grown substantially over the past few years and combined with Middleby we anticipate growth through expansion of their capabilities into international markets by leveraging Middleby’s global footprint.”
Ft. Smith, Ark.-based QualServ reported revenues of $100 million in 2016, making it the country’s 18th largest foodservice equipment and supplies dealer by sales volume, according to FE&S’ Distribution Giants Study.
This is not the first time a foodservice equipment manufacturer has owned a foodservice equipment dealer. In 2011, for example, Duray/J.F. Duncan Industries acquired Baring Industries from Electrolux.
