| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food distribution |
| Founded | 1897 |
| Headquarters | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Products | Bulk food, delivery |
| Website | gfs.com |
Gordon Food Service ("GFS") is the largest privately held foodservice distributor in North America with sales of $5.5 billion in 2007. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan[1], GFS has GFS Marketplace stores in the states of Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. GFS also distributes to portions of Wisconsin, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Gordon Food Service was founded in 1897 by Isaac van Westenbrugge, a 23-year-old Dutch immigrant, and later taken over by his son-in-law Ben Gordon. It was started by Van Westenbrugge with only 300 dollars borrowed from his brother to start an egg and butter delivery service. This past year (2009) GFS opened a new distribution center in Pottsville, PA adding to the extensive distribution web that it already has, and is also planning on opening another new warehouse in Kenosha, WI in April 2010. GFS now has warehouses in 7 states, and is continuing to grow.
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Started at the GFS warehouse in Grand Rapids, Michigan the first "cash and carry" was a way for local restaurants to replenish their stock between deliveries. As these stores expanded they all were first located in industrial areas with very little emphasis on the "retail look" as the store fast became popular GFS saw that locations that were on busy streets, and in strip malls not only put them in the public eye but were more convenient for their customers. In 2003 GFS bought 7 retail locations and a distribution network from a similar retailer Smart & Final; it now has 130 location along the eastern half of the US. Each store is between 15,000-25,000 sq ft.
Gordon Food Service also distributes under the name GFS Canada and has Distribution Centers in much of Canada:
GFS has an automated distribution center located in Shepherdsville, KY. With GFS Marketplace stores developing in other states the company continues to grow year by year. The company also has over 11,000 employees.
The company also sponsored the NASCAR Nextel Cup GFS Marketplace 400 race from 2003 to 2006.