Vintners Distributors Moves to McLane Company for Superior Foodservice and Technology Capabilities

TEMPLE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

McLane Company, Inc., a leading supply chain services company providing grocery and foodservice supply chain solutions, today announced a service agreement with Fremont, Calif.-based Vintners Distributors, LLC for 126 c-store locations including 15 of the chain's Loop Neighborhood Stores. By making the switch from a competing supplier to McLane Company, Vintners secures access to industry-leading foodservice offerings and McLane's suite of cutting-edge retail technologies that increase operational efficiencies.

"Foodservice is our number one priority and we're determined to deliver fresh, quality food choices to our customers," says Vintners Distributors COO Pervez Pir. "McLane has similar objectives [to grow fresh foods] and therefore we make a good team."

Vintners is also focused on growing their current store base via acquisition and opening additional Loop Neighborhood Stores. "McLane is a leader in the wholesale forum and we are excited to partner with them. They have a tenure team that is customer-centric and delivers on their promise. Additionally, McLane team members are flexible and react quickly to the ever-changing retail business, which is what we are looking for in the current landscape," says Pir.

McLane's innovative retail and smart handheld (SHH) technology will enable Vintners c-stores to order, check in and return items efficiently and better manage reconciliation, allowing staff to spend more time on the sales floor with customers, improve accuracy of inventory and save on labor costs.

Vintners will work with the McLane Center for Category Innovation (CCI), formerly known as the McLane Lab Store, to conduct SKU rationalization in order to develop a product mix that focuses on the top 20 percent of its best-selling products.

Tim Hoime, senior manager, business development at McLane Company, says Vintners has long been on McLane's radar as a highly respected innovative retailer known to pioneer and embrace new technologies and cutting-edge programs.

"We sense real excitement with the Vintners management team and are pleased to welcome them to the McLane family," says Hoime. "They are eager to drive sales with McLane technology and sell smarter utilizing McLane's Center for Category Innovation. They are focused and employ sound business strategies, which makes for a very strong partnership."

About Vintners Distributors, LLC

Vintners Distributors, LLC is a branded retailer of fuels throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Starting in 1978, Vintners has been family owned and operated, and professionally managed, providing clean stores and high quality fuels since its inception. Vintners also operates the Loop Neighborhood Store, your all-in-one convenience store and marketplace. According to Pervez Pir, COO, Vintners' goal is simple: "We want to redefine the convenience retail store by offering exceptional items that are good for you; excellent customer service and a fantastic experience from the time you enter Loop. We strive to provide our customers with everything from a wide variety of fresh foods to daily grocery items which meet their needs and seating areas which give them the opportunity to relax."

About McLane

McLane Company, Inc. is a $48 billion supply chain services leader, providing grocery and foodservice supply chain solutions for convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores and chain restaurants throughout the United States. McLane, through McLane Grocery, McLane Foodservice and wholly owned subsidiary, Meadowbrook Meat Company, Inc., (MBM), operates 80 distribution centers across the U.S. and one of the nation's largest private fleets. The company buys, sells and delivers more than 50,000 different consumer products to nearly 90,000 locations across the U.S. In addition, McLane provides alcoholic beverage distribution through its wholly owned subsidiary, Empire Distributors, Inc. McLane is a wholly owned unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. BRK and employs more than 20,000 teammates.

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