LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - As we reported in our recent exclusive, Allen Lund Company has a unique acquisition style. It’s a pattern you will want the pulse of, the team’s leaders assure me.

“Typically when seeking to acquire, you find companies looking for an exit strategy or are falling behind a little bit on the IT-side. We prefer the latter, and in this case, we’ll be able to give a little bit more power behind the computer to an already successful company,” Eddie Lund, President of Allen Lund Company, reflects.

Coming off an almost annual plan of acquiring—2022 having been the only exception of the current decade thus far—it’s fair to say the strategy is a refined one. In fact, Steve Baker, General Manager of ALC Canada, and Jim Brister, Business Development Manager for ALC Canada, echo the newly named ALC Canada team is a direct beneficiary.

“We have a lot of core customers that have been with us for 15-plus years, and one of the biggest opportunities they’ll see is our ability now to give them a much broader portfolio of services we can offer, both diversified by product and also by region. This will be a really fantastic opportunity for all our customers,” Steve comments.

Eddie adds that, in turn, Allen Lund Company hopes doors to some Canadian customers that might not have been open before will see the strengths of this union. And it is likely the only change Canadian customers should expect.

“We give our offices and managers a lot of autonomy, so I don’t think things will change much in the way of business other than the support behind it. Now, there’s more capability by region with a little more horsepower,” Eddie smiles.

As we’ve reported on previously, Allen Lund Company has a cutting-edge, award-winning proprietary TMS offering made specifically for produce logistics. This, Steve and Jim both confirm, is an exciting opportunity to further bring the teams together—because who could ask for more from technology than simply getting what you want done more quickly and efficiently?

“Now, as we’ve been plugged into Allen Lund’s network, we have access to some legacy customers that have a need, especially here in Canada where we have our expertise, and we can help further business even more. We’ve got a 20-year history of taking care of customers, and now we are able to do so even better,” Jim observes.

Great operators that provide great customer service, now with a stronger sales arm for the IT side, is exactly what Allen Lund Company sets out to build when buying.

“We’ve seen that work really well in the past acquisitions that we’ve made, and that’s what we expect here,” Eddie says. “It’s about being able to provide an environment where all employees, current and new, can thrive. We’re not going to lay anybody off, so we approached this knowing we need to find how all the folks at United World fit into the Allen Lund Company system.”

Steve is resolute in his agreement, explaining that the first and foremost point was ensuring the core values of both sides aligned.

“Taking care of all our people and giving them an opportunity to do well in this industry and grow is, I would say, probably the most paramount thing for us all, which was why this was such a good fit,” Steve says. “That alone will fuel our future growth.”

Bringing us down to the glue of this ever-strengthening expansion strategy: culture.

“Culture is why we were comfortable with moving forward from the beginning. You’re always anxious about how staff is going to respond to these types of situations, especially being that it was a large U.S. company. Sitting down with our crew in just the past few weeks, the level of comfort we felt from everyone was a strong indicator of how well we feel this will progress,” Jim concludes.

So, where a cultural fit meets with a need for resources and support, we will likely find the next candidate for the expanding Allen Lund Company umbrella. The pattern is a teaser in itself, as Eddie assures me there is definitely more to come. With another potential acquisition already in the works, it looks to be a dynamic year in produce logistics.

Stay tuned as AndNowUKnow continues to bring you the latest.

Allen Lund Company