Food Services of America (FSA) and affiliated Services Group of America (SGA) companies joined Independent Marketing Alliance (IMA), effective December 26, to become a member of the organization. In doing so, FSA joins a select group of regionally prominent independent foodservice distributors who own and direct IMA.

FSA is the nations’ sixth largest broadline foodservice distributor serving customers in 15 Western and Midwestern states from nine regional distribution centers in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota. FSA is part of SGA, which includes systems distributor Systems Services of America, fresh produce marketer Amerifresh, and custom-cut meat provider Ameristar Meats.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for FSA to align with the procurement and brand marketing arm of America’s leading independent foodservice distributors,” says FSA president and CEO Doug Minert. “IMA’s new reach and strength will produce significant advantages for foodservice customers that are especially important in today’s marketplace.”

“FSA is among the strongest and most respected organizations in the foodservice distribution business and our team and our owner members are delighted to join forces with this industry dynamo,” says Bob Planck, president of IMA. “We have long respected this great company and now embrace Doug Minert, their president, and his team into our business alliance. FSA’s strength throughout the Northwestern USA region compliments the strength of other IMA owner/member companies in the East, Midwest, Southeast, Mid-South, Desert Southwest, and the Inter-Mountain Western region of our nation. With this added firepower, IMA owners/members form a truly national network of leading family-owned independent powerhouse distributors.”

With the addition of FSA to the IMA organization, the “Third Force” concept now encompasses six of the top 12 independent foodservice distributors. These companies are CONCO Food Service, Maines Paper & Food Service Inc., Nicholas & Company, Reinhart FoodService, and Shamrock Foods Company. The combined sales of these six companies now approaches $13 billion. The IMA network consists of 54 distribution centers in the USA serving all of the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, and parts of the Caribbean and Europe and services over 100,000 customers.