WARREN, MICH. – Lipari Foods, a top specialty food distributor based in Warren, Michigan, announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Clive, IA based Comercializadora Del Midwest (CDM), a leading provider of Central and South American specialty items. This opportunity will expand Lipari’s portfolio of International products as well as their distribution footprint in the Midwest.
Founded in 2007, the CDM team services 380+ customers within the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin, and has approximately 26 employees. CDM globally sources over 1,200 items from 12+ countries throughout Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands.
We are thrilled to welcome the CDM team into our family as we develop the Latino category. Roberto and Martha did an incredible job focusing on the customer and supplier relationships, while building out their program, as a trusted partner. We are excited to integrate their expertise with our distribution footprint, leading to significant opportunities for all of our business partners.
–John Pawlowski, President & COO of Lipari Foods
We knew Lipari was a trusted partner that would build upon our company values centered around people, relationships, trust and focus on the customer. We are excited to see the growth and development as our companies work together, creating new opportunities for all of our customers and suppliers.
–Roberto Gomez, Owner of Comercializadora Del Midwest
Claudio Zarate will continue to serve as the leader for Comercializadora Del Midwest.
About Comercializadora Del Midwest
Comercializadora Del Midwest (CDM) was established in October 2007 in Burnsville, Minnesota as a wholesaler of grocery, frozen, and dairy products to supply niche Latino communities with nostalgic products. As the Latino communities began to grow throughout the Midwest, CDM relocated to Clive, Iowa to develop more efficient distribution logistics to service its customers. In 2013, CDM received the “Outstanding Immigrant Business Award” from the Immigrant Entrepreneur Summit Awards for its model performance and success in both profit and philanthropy.
