Ken Sweder became CEO of Individual Foodservice (IFS) in 2020, keeping this position following the merger with Brady Industries.
For more details on BradyIFS, click on the following links:
2023
BradyIFS acquires in the Midwest
2022
BradyIFS to exceed $1.3 billion mark
Brady and Imperial Dade acquire
Background information
2022: Another new entry into the 2022 Top 100Â list, it was less than two years ago that Brady Industries and Individual Foodservice (IFS) merged to become one of the largest independent jan/san supplies and foodservice distributors in the US.
The deal came about following private equity firm Kelso & Company acquiring a majority stake in IFS in October 2019. Kenneth Sweder, then CEO of Kelso-owned speciality tool and fastener distributor SouthernCarlson – incidentally now owned by Kyocera – was appointed Chairman of the board at IFS. In July 2020, he became CEO.
A few months later, in December 2020, Kelso/IFS acquired Brady Industries, significantly boosting both businesses’ activities in terms of customers, combined facilities, distribution footprint, product portfolios and geographic diversification.
This is another hugely acquisitive operator which is reaching into the business supplies space. Under Sweder’s watch as CEO of the new BradyIFS entity, he has overseen eight acquisitions, expanding the company’s reach across the country and enhancing its core categories of jan/san, packaging and foodservice supplies.
The latest purchase, made in July, was New York-based Hill & Markes, a reseller of jan/san, industrial packaging, foodservice, farm and office products to various market segments around the US. The addition of Hill & Markes to the fold has pushed BradyIFS’ annual sales to more than $1.3 billion.
Other acquisitions this year include two New Jersey-based firms – Camden Bag and Paper and SupplyitAll – while BradyIFS also expanded its presence in the Southeast with Georgia-based Associated Paper.
