MONTEREY, CA - PRO*ACT and The Coastal Companies have revealed a partnership that expands the companies' footprints in fresh food distribution in North America. Recently, The Coastal Companies acquired Hearn Kirkwood which, PRO*ACT's CEO Max Yeater stated, signals opportunity for further growth for all companies involved.

“We’ve had a lot of respect for what Coastal has been able to achieve and know that their vision and values align excellently with PRO*ACT and our network,” said Yeater. “This transition has been great for our customers and staff and is a partnership that we see being productive for years to come for all parts of our supply chain.”

According to a press release, the acquisition of Hearn Kirkwood was announced last week, giving The Coastal Companies greater reach and service capabilities in both its foodservice and retail channels of business.

Coastal’s foodservice business will be enhanced in the Mid-Atlantic, specifically in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. region. With the addition of Hearn Kirkwood’s extensive line of prepared and ready-to-eat products, The Coastal Companies' retail and grab-n-go businesses will be strengthened from Maine to Florida.

With additional relationships with top-tier growers, and new opportunities for customer growth, stepping into a role as PRO*ACT’s distributor in that region with multi-unit customers will also give The Coastal Companies access to PRO*ACT’s cumulative buying power.

“We are excited to have Hearn Kirkwood join The Coastal Companies and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with PRO*ACT and its network,” said The Coastal Companies' CEO John Corso.

Working with PRO*ACT at Coastal enables the company to expand its procurement capabilities and gives the company access to a larger sales team. Joe Cimino, PRO*ACT’s VP of Procurement, expressed the feeling of momentum that has been generated by the partnership.

“We’ve worked hard to develop strategic relationships that enhance our ability to effectively serve customers; this is an exciting development that will benefit our entire value chain,” said Cimino.

It hasn’t been challenging aligning with PRO*ACT as each organization has served as an industry leader in food safety, customer service standards, sustainability, and innovative growth. Both companies are continuing to plan how to maximize the companies' partnership to service customers and take advantage of the suite of services that are at the companies' fingertips.

For updates on PRO*ACT and The Coastal Companies partnership, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

PRO*ACT   The Coastal Companies