1920 was the inauguration of what developed into an amazing, dedicated, Michigan-based, family owned business. Andrew Van Eerden, a Grand Rapids businessman, started with a small grocery store on the corner of Watkins and Kalamazoo. In that year, with an offer to start selling produce wholesale, Andrew sold his grocery store, bought a building in downtown Grand Rapids, and started Van Eerden Compa
ny. Dedication led to early morning train trips to Chicago, hand selecting the best products and always seeking quality for loyal customers. Van Eerden shipped the produce to Grand Rapids with demand for FRESH in pursuit. Local grocery stores and restaurants in West Michigan learned to appreciate their Van Eerden Company connection. Van Eerden Company thrived under Andrew’s integrity and consistent business focus on QUALITY and VALUE. Concentrating on customer needs began early and stayed strong, finding new ways of selling quality produce. In-house ripening of bananas and eventually tomatoes assured freshness and maximized quality-first products, every time. When the market wanted citrus, Model A trucks drove from Florida with crates of newly picked quality oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and limes. Van Eerden added California routes, hauling even wider varieties of produce. In the late 1960’s, the company supplied supermarket chains growing throughout the area. Product lines continuously expanded with customer needs continually creating the focus for Van Eerden sales, marketing, and purchasing. Teaching goes both ways and Van Eerden employees were able to bring the best, updated processes and products directly to their customers. Another innovative high came in 1979 when Van Eerden Trucking hit the road. Contracts with a growing manufacture base in Grand Rapids enabled full trucks out to Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and California. Truckloads of produce returned, reducing freight costs for customers. Today, Van Eerden Trucking drives 24,773,000 miles, returning 14,144 truckloads safely each year to our loyal customers and the Van Eerden warehouses. In the late 1980’s Van Eerden expanded their Italian segment through the purchase of Bono Foods. Then one Sunday morning in 1989, owners of another upscale Italian distributor called with the terrible news that their building had burnt beyond replacement. “VE C.A.R.E.S.” jumped into action and within one week, Fata products were stored and distributed to their customers from the Van Eerden facility. In time, Van Eerden formally purchased Fata combining their business in with the business gained with the purchase of Bono Foods. Quality brands like Bay State Milling, Stanislaus, Gala, Fata, Escalon, and Hormel shaped the full line of pizza products. Van Eerden’s business grew with the new team: pizza and Italian business increased significantly. With more choices, Van Eerden continued to meet customer demand. In 1990 Van Eerden and five other distributors founded Pro*Act, which today is America’s leading produce specialist. Van Eerden Food Service tracks produce to the farm of origin, and provides the freshest produce from over 70 inspected distribution centers across the United States and Canada. Van Eerden became a member of UNIPRO, the largest foodservice distribution cooperative in the United States, in 1998. Unipro is made up of over 650 shareholder companies, with more than 900 locations, and combined sales of over $60 Billion. This membership allows Van Eerden to share buying power with some of the largest independent food service distributors in the world. Now, at Van Eerden Food Service, sales consultants partner with each customer, caring for their business and providing their best work with integrity. Andrew, Jack, Andy, Harold, and Dan learned from the best to be the best. Pride and gratitude is integrated in business practices and customer relationships past, present, and future.
102 years later Quality and Value is still the heart of Andrew Van Eerden’s promise to our customers. focus that Andrew instilled in his family. Honorably, we remain a family owned business, welcoming each customer as a member of our own family.
