Lipari Foods Acquires Comercializadora Del Midwest to Expand Specialty Latino Offerings

Lipari Foods, a top specialty food distributor based in Warren, Michigan, announced that it had agreed to acquire Clive, IA-based Comercializadora Del Midwest (CDM), a leading provider of Central and South American specialty items.

The acquisition will allow Lipari to expand its portfolio of International products and their distribution footprint in the Midwest, said the company in a press release.

“We are thrilled to welcome the CDM team into our family as we develop the Latino category. Roberto and Martha did an incredible job focusing on customer and supplier relationships while building their program as trusted partners. We are excited to integrate their expertise with our distribution footprint, leading to significant opportunities for all our business partners,” said John Pawlowski, President and COO of Lipari Foods.

Comercializadora Del Midwest team services more than 380 customers within Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin and has approximately 26 employees.

CDM globally sources over 1,200 items from more than 12 countries throughout Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands.

“We knew Lipari was a trusted partner that would build upon our company values centered around people, relationships, trust, and focus on the customer. We are excited to see the growth and development as our companies work together, creating new opportunities for all our customers and suppliers,” said Roberto Gomez, owner of Comercializadora Del Midwest.

Related Article: CPG Trends for the Second Half of 2023

According to Lipari, Claudio Zarate will continue to serve as the leader for Comercializadora Del Midwest.

Founded in October 2007 in Burnsville, Minnesota, Comercializadora Del Midwest (CDM) is a wholesaler supplier of grocery, frozen, and dairy products for niche Latino communities with nostalgic products.

As the Latino communities grew throughout the Midwest, CDM relocated to Clive, Iowa, to develop more efficient distribution logistics to service its customers.

In 2013, CDM received the “Outstanding Immigrant Business Award” from the Immigrant Entrepreneur Summit Awards for its model performance and success in profit and philanthropy.

Lipari Foods Distributors officially began operations in 1963. It is an independent “perimeter store” distributor in the Midwest, offering more than 31,000 bakery, dairy, deli, and many other food and beverage products to more than 9,000 customers in 27 states. The company has more than 2,500 employees.

The company was founded by Jim Lipari, who began his career delivering unique products from the back of his Buick pickup truck.