Rainforest Distribution Acquires New England Distributor Associated Buyers
Rainforest Distribution Corp. has acquired New England natural and specialty foods distributor Associated Buyers, the companies announced this week.
According to a press release, the companies will take roughly two months to transition the Associated Buyers’ network into the Rainforest system. Rainforest anticipates it will begin directly servicing Associated Buyers’ current customers beginning on Feb. 28.
“Both Rainforest and Associated Buyers share a deep commitment to bring healthy foods,
product innovation, and best-in-class service to the communities they serve,” said Rainforest CEO Alexander Ridings in the release. In addition to strengthening our ability to meet those commitments, this combination will further provide local and emerging food brands with a more robust platform to scale and reach the end-consumer. Rainforest welcomes the customers, suppliers, and team members of Associated Buyers to the Rainforest Team.”
Based in Barrington, New Hampshire, Associated Buyers is a family-owned distributor servicing over 5,000 products throughout the Northeast. The company specializes in carrying small and local New England food and beverage brands, as well as imported international foods and gourmet specialty items.
“We are proud to have been the jumping off point for so many unique producers and brands, and to have seen communities grow up around the stores and restaurants we supplied,” said Associated Buyers president Karta Owens in the release. “We’re excited for the next chapter of this journey, strengthening these partnerships through new opportunities and offerings that Rainforest can bring to the table. We couldn’t have found a better organization to carry on the mission we began with so many years ago, to support the well-being of people and our planet through the food we provide.”
Reached by Nosh, Associated Buyers VP Ryan Owens, the son of Karta Owens, said the acquisition was well-timed for the business, suggesting that Associated Buyers had “reached the limits” of its growth as an independent company. Although the distributor has wanted to expand operations beyond the Northeast – a move that many of its suppliers had asked about in the past – he said Associated Buyers did not have the resources to do so on its own. Meanwhile, the sale will provide Rainforest with a well-established presence in the New England market.
According to Owens, Associated Buyers is currently in the process of reaching out directly to its existing customers and suppliers and said both companies plan to take time over the next two months to ensure a smooth transition.
While most of Associated Buyers’ team is expected to remain with the company, Owens said his father will “step back from his management role” with the completion of the sale, but will “remain involved in the supplier and customer transitions for some time to ensure continuity.”
“We’re excited for how this will help the regional food economy,” Owens said. “Rainforest can bring a lot of value into the market.”
Founded in 2010, Rainforest services over 3,000 retailers across 15 states, stretching from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. The distributor previously acquired Mid-Atlantic distributor Avenue Gourmet in 2019 and currently operates distribution centers in Bayonne, New Jersey; Frederick, Maryland; and South Easton, Massachusetts.
