Empire Acquires TruTemp and Norm's Refrigeration to Create Leading Distribution Platform
Wholesale distributors of commercial foodservice equipment partner to expand offerings and share expertise throughout the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southwest, and West Coast.
Empire Equipment Company, has acquired TruTemp Equipment (http://trutempinc.com) (based in Phoenix, AZ) and Norm’s Refrigeration (http://normsrefrigeration.com) (based in Anaheim, CA and Hayward, CA) to form a leading wholesale distribution platform for commercial foodservice equipment. Together, the Company will have seven distribution locations throughout the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southwest, and West Coast.
TruTemp and Norm’s are value-added wholesale distributors of commercial foodservice equipment and aftermarket parts to the foodservice, hospitality, healthcare, and retail industries. Both TruTemp and Norm’s have provided market-leading wholesale distribution capabilities for over 50 years throughout the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada) and West Coast (Southern and Northern California) markets.
Combined, Empire, TruTemp, and Norm’s are distribution partners for leading commercial foodservice brands such as American Range, Blue Air, Cornelius, Everpure, Ice-O-Matic, Royal, Scotsman, and True.
The transaction significantly increases the size and geographic reach of Empire, whose strategy continues to focus on deeper penetration with existing products in its existing footprint, extension of its product set, and further expansion of its geographic reach.
“On behalf of all the employees at TruTemp and Norm’s Refrigeration, we are extremely proud and excited to be joining forces with the Empire family,” said Tim McGillicuddy, TruTemp/Norm’s President and CEO. “Not only do our two companies have complementary product line cards, but our teams also have similar cultures and core values. Like TruTemp and Norm’s, Empire understands how to grow with its key vendor partners while continuing to serve the needs of its customers. This is an exciting time for our combined businesses and we look forward to our new partnership with Empire.”
Jim Kirkland, CEO of Empire, said “We are very excited to be partnering with TruTemp and Norm’s. We look forward to working with the talented team at TruTemp and Norm’s to continue providing exceptional customer service to their loyal customers. All of the employees at TruTemp and Norm’s will be retained and we will support their efforts with the larger scale and reach of the combined company. Empire is committed to providing leading distribution capabilities to the commercial foodservice equipment industry, and this acquisition continues to extend our capabilities to deliver a world class customer experience and a platform to support our vendor partners.”
