Utz Brands completes National Food Corp. distribution rights acquisition

The purchase covers routes in south Florida and includes plans to expand.

Courtesy of Utz Brands

Utz Brands, a U.S. manufacturer of various salty snack brands, has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase certain distribution rights in South Florida from third-party direct-store delivery (DSD) distributor National Food Corp.

This acquisition of about 65 DSD routes in south Florida (covering Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Naples, and Fort Myers) represents Utz’s second transaction with National Food. The first transaction occurred in March 2021 and involved the acquisition of 21 DSD routes in central Florida. Utz now oversees more than 200 independent operator-run routes in Florida, from the panhandle to the southernmost part of the state.

Florida reportedly is a key expansion geography for Utz, as it represents the third largest U.S. state in terms of salty snack category sales, with $2.6 billion in retail sales. Since 2021, Utz has increased its retail sales in Florida to $103 million, representing a three-year compounded annual growth rate of 28%, and has also increased its market share from 2.7% to 3.9%. While the company reportedly has enjoyed very strong growth, this transaction (according to Utz) shows that there is still significant market share opportunity in Florida which remains below the average core geographies share at 6.9%. An Utz representative reports company leadership believes that Florida’s large consumer base, combined with strong recognition of the Utz portfolio brands, uniquely positions the company to continue this growth trajectory. To support this expansion, Utz plans to increase its investment in the region and provide enhanced retailer support with increased distribution facilities and sales management, higher service velocity, and an expanded route system.

“We are very excited to announce this transaction, as we continue to execute the expansion strategy that we outlined during our December 2023 Investor Day,” comments Howard Friedman, Utz CEO. “Strengthening our regional foothold and bolstering our customer relationships in Florida is a key focus, as the state represents an important expansion geography for Utz. We look forward to expanding our distribution and offering our portfolio of iconic snacking products to more consumers in this important geography.”

Utz Quality Foods is on the current Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery “Top 50 Snack & Bakery Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Top 50” rankings.

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Jenni Spinner is the chief editor of Snack Food and Wholesale with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business communications. She has written extensively about food production, safety and packaging; pharmaceutical drug development; concrete and masonry construction; and more. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Illinois. Jenni can be reached at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com.

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