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MAINES PAPER & FOOD SERVICE JOINS IMA
(HOUSTON, Texas - April 15, 2003) Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc. has reached an agreement with Independent Marketing Alliance (IMA) to become a member of that unique organization. In doing so, Maines joins a select group of regionally prominent independent foodservice distributors who own and direct the company. "We are thrilled by Maines' decision to join forces with IMA," said IMA president Bob Planck. "With Maines joining the fold, IMA companies represent over $5 billion in purchasing power. We now operate 27 distribution centers in the USA serving parts or all of the 48 contiguous U.S. states as well as parts of the Caribbean and Europe."
Maines operates from its Corporate Park facility in Conklin, New York, with two more centers in Conklin and additional distribution centers in Massachusetts, Ohio and Illinois. The company has grown from 550 employees in 1998 to more than 2,000 employees today.
In business since 1919, Maines is one of the leading independent foodservice distributors in the country, recently finalizing several major contracts that placed the privately held company in the top five food distribution companies in the United States.
Christopher Mellon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Maines, said, "The decision to join IMA was not at all difficult. IMA was a ready-made solution to fulfill our original strategy to develop a national systems distribution network while eliminating the need to do it one geography at a time."
Planck said that the addition of Maines to the alliance solidifies IMA's claim as the "Third Force" in the foodservice industry. The concept combines IMA members' respective purchasing volumes, a commitment to shared marketing programs and the development of national IMA BRANDED products.
According to Planck, IMA is neither a corporate distributor nor a traditional buying group. Its member/owner companies are committed to full support of IMA ventures. The "Third Force" concept creates new and better opportunities for customers and suppliers alike through a culture of mutual cooperation and a commitment to aggressive marketing. "We provide a viable alternative to the massive corporate distributor groups," he concluded.
Independent Marketing Alliance is a Houston, Texas based Limited Liability Company that serves as the procurement, marketing, and product development arm for IMA member companies. In becoming a member, Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc. joins CONCO Foodservice, The IJ Company, Reinhart FoodService and Shamrock Foods Company. With combined member trade sales exceeding $5 billion, IMA companies field a sales and marketing force of over 1,500. This combined sales force places IMA among the nation's largest foodservice organizations.
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