Advantage does deal to gain fresh focus

Advantage Sales & Marketing has acquired food brokerage company Tri-Venture Marketing to expand its national footprint and enhance its capabilities across a range of fresh categories.

Advantage, already one of the nation’s leading providers of sales, marketing and third party merchandising support services to retailers and suppliers, will operate the new business as Advantage Tri-Venture and maintain the firm’s existing headquarters in Lakeland, Fl., which coincidentally is the hometown of leading southeastern supermarket operator Publix.

“Tri-Venture has delivered best-in-class service to the perishables industry for more than three decades,” said Tanya Domier, CEO of Advantage Sales & Marketing (ASM). “We are pleased to enhance our perishables service portfolio to include Tri-Venture’s expertise, talent and industry relationships.”

Tri-Venture is a three decade old food brokerage company focused on meat, deli, bakery, produce, cheese, seafood and frozen clients and customers primarily in the southeast where it maintains seven offices.

“The Tri-Venture acquisition represents a significant step forward in our plans for national coverage with very strong leaders and category expertise dedicated to the fresh business,” said Mike Salzberg, ASM president and COO. “With our planned investments in category management and technology, Advantage Tri-Venture, along with earlier acquisitions of Action, Pryority and Program, puts this combined team in a position to compete at a very high level in the industry.”

Eugene Giddens and Jeff White, who previously served as CEO and president of Tri-Venture, respectively, will lead the new business unit.

“ASM has a strong foundation and reputation for outstanding service to clients and customers. ASM’s mission, vision and values are consistent with our company culture and our associates are thrilled to be a part of the ASM family,” said Giddens. “For 35 years, Tri-Venture has consistently delivered value for manufacturers, customers and associates. We are confident Advantage Tri-Venture will offer expanded services, leading technology and industry insights and will continue to drive growth for both our clients and customers.”

ASM was founded in 1987 and is based in Irvine, Calif.