CHICAGO – Chicagoland Equipment & Supply (CES), a supplier of equipment, materials and service to the food industry, recently entered the convenience-store market with the acquisition of United Fast Food & Beverage Service (UFFB).
The acquisition of UFFB, a supplier of equipment and service to c-stores and fast-food restaurants, fits into CES’ strategy to expand and become the leading seller of equipment, supplies and service to the food industry, the company said. CES adds the c-store market to its existing expertise across the grocery, food processing and foodservice industries. Together, CES and UFFB will expand offerings to existing customers, allowing them a one-stop provider of equipment and service.
“United Fast Food & Beverage has a tremendous reputation for quality service with c-stores,” said Tyler Jeffrey, CEO of Chicago-based CES. “Their service network of almost 20 technicians and impressive lines of equipment are a great addition to CES. We are honored to welcome UFFB to our Family at CES.”
The combination creates a full line of equipment that now includes beverage and ice machines to the already extensive lines of equipment offered by CES, Jeffrey added. “In addition, our service network now includes almost 40 technicians in the upper Midwest that can service an expanding range of equipment,” he said.
“We are very excited for the UFFB employees as this combination with CES provides the next phase of growth for our company,” said Al Kollar, president of UFFB, Elk Grove Village, Ill. “The family culture and focus on quality service by CES are a great fit with what we’ve built here at United Food and Beverage.”
Elliot Wheeler, chief investment officer of Cooper Management LLC, which owns CES, said, “We remain steadfast in growing the business to create a special community for customers, vendors and most all, our talented employees. The acquisition of UFFB is a continuation of this strategy and our long-term vision.”
Founded in 2000 and based in Chicago, CES supplies equipment, supplies and service to the food industry throughout the Upper Midwest. In 2018, CES partnered with Cooper Management to accelerate growth.
Cooper Management is focused on providing a permanent source of capital to build businesses in partnership with best-in-class management teams. For more than 40 years, the family has facilitated the growth of companies across a variety of industries. In addition to its core strategy of building businesses, Cooper Management deploys capital across a wide spectrum of asset classes.
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