GrubMarket adds Brothers Produce

San Francisco-based GrubMarket says it has acquired Brothers Produce, a foodservice distributor in Texas and the Southwest U.S.

The Houston-based Brothers Produce serves a full line of fresh fruits and vegetables, specialty goods and processed items to more than 6,000 foodservice, education, restaurant, grocery and retailers across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Mississippi, according to a news release.

Brothers Produce CEO Martin Erenwert said the acquisition will help the company grow its business, while GrubMarket CEO Mike Xu said adding Brothers Produce will help strengthen the company’s presence in Texas and the Southwest.

“Mike and his team clearly understand our vision, and GrubMarket is one of the fastest-growing, most recognized food companies in the entire country,” Erenwert said in the release. “I feel great knowing that being a part of GrubMarket will allow us to preserve our brand and history while creating a new growth path through vertical integration and technological innovation."

Founded in the 1980s by Martin Erenwert as a small family business, the company is now a full-service food distribution and wholesale business with warehouses totaling more than 250,000 square feet of space in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio.

GrubMarket said Erenwert and his son, Brent Erenwert, will continue to lead the business.

"Martin, Brent and the outstanding team at Brothers Produce have truly built a strong and impactful fresh produce business, and we respect their focus on delivering stellar customer service as well as their strong commitment to food safety standards throughout their operations,” Xu said in the release. “Brothers Produce is also involved in several local charitable initiatives, which aligns with GrubMarket's commitment to use our success to support environmental and social causes that we care deeply about and promote agricultural sustainability across the country. This acquisition enables GrubMarket to further strengthen our presence across Texas and the Southwestern U.S."

GrubMarket said Brothers Produce will use its proprietary AI-powered ERP software, WholesaleWare, a platform that provides food industry wholesalers, distributors and shippers with seamless financial management, sales support, online ordering, inventory management, lot traceability, grower accounting, and automated routing and logistics.