Chicagoland Equipment & Supply (CES), a portfolio company of Cooper Management, and a leading supplier of equipment, supplies and service to the food industry, has acquired United Fast Food & Beverage Service (UFFB), a leading supplier of equipment and service to convenience stores and fast-food restaurants.

CES and UFFB serve many chain and local stores in the Quad Cities, and the recent transaction is continuation of CES’ efforts to expand its equipment offering and service capabilities, according to a company release.

“United Fast Food & Beverage has a tremendous reputation for quality service with C-stores,” Tyler Jeffrey, CEO of CES, said of convenience stores. “Their service network of almost 20 technicians and impressive lines of equipment are a great addition to CES. We are honored to welcome UFFB to our family at CES.”

“The combination creates a full line of equipment that now includes beverage and ice machines to the already extensive lines of equipment offered by CES.,” he added. “In addition, our service network now includes almost 40 technicians in the upper Midwest that can service an expanding range of equipment.”

“We are very excited for the UFFB employees as this combination with CES provides the next phase of growth for our company,” said UFFB president Al Kollar said in the release. “The family culture and focus on quality service by CES are a great fit with what we’ve built here at United Food and Beverage.”

The acquisition of UFFB fits into CES’ strategy to be the leading seller of equipment, supplies and service to the food industry. Through the acquisition, CES enters the C-store market in addition to its existing expertise across the grocery, food processing and food-service industries. Together, both CES and UFFB will expand its offerings to existing customers allowing them a one-stop provider of equipment and service. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Al and the entire UFFB team to the CES family,” said Elliot Wheeler, Chief Investment Officer of Cooper Management LLC. “We remain steadfast in growing the business to create a special community for customers, vendors and most all, our talented employees. The acquisition of UFFB is a continuation of this strategy and our long-term vision.”