EPI merges with BLG, while MarkeTeam updates its line card. Also, Greenwald Sales & Marketing updates its Ohio sales team and Zink opens a culinary center.

In a move involving two rep firms that both have the ITW Food Equipment Group as part of their line cards, EPI has merged with the Burlis-Lawson Group. The deal is expected to close on June 30, 2026, per a release. The merged organization plans to integrate teams, systems, and customer relationships in the months ahead. Both leadership teams will remain actively involved in the business. Presently, EPI’s territory covers Texas and Oklahoma. This deal will extend EPI’s “reach into Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Southern Illinois,” the release said. This deal comes two months after BLG updated its organizational structure, which included elevating Jay Lawson to partner and chief operating officer. “We've spent decades building trust with our customers and manufacturer partners in this region, and we've been looking for the right partner to help us grow that legacy,” Lawson said in a statement.

Greenwald Sales & Marketing made two updates to the rep firm’s Ohio sales team. Kelly Kure joins GSM as a strategic account manager, while Kristy Budnick, business development manager, expands her territory from Michigan into Northwest Ohio. A foodservice industry veteran with more than two decades of experience, Kure will support Greenwald’s existing Ohio sales team by calling on end users statewide.

MarkeTeam Foodservice has added IRINOX Professional North America. It now represents the manufacturer of blast chillers, shock freezers, and holding cabinets across Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Zink Foodservice Group opened a culinary center in Plymouth, Mich. The rep firm opened the space in “partnership” with Affinity, a large food sales organization. Zink will use the Plymouth location to host manufacturer training, operator events, and dealer engagement programs. In August of 2025, Zink opened its new headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.