In 1936 Mr. Jabie S. Hardin founded a food distribution company which bore his name. For the next 40 years, under his leadership, the company grew and became renowned for its innovation in such areas as frozen food marketing. 1972 saw the merger of Hardin’s Frozen Foods with SYSCO Corporation and in 1974 Charles Cotros’ Tri State General Foods was acquired to form Hardin’s Tri-State. The new company -- now with broad line food service and retail grocery products -- moved to its present location in 1976.
Sysco Memphis is the largest food service distributor in the Mid-South marketing area. With almost 600 employees, the company serves approximately 7,075 customers in the restaurant, fast food, deli, hotel, schools, and healthcare segments.
Changing demographic and social trends are causing an ever-increasing number of meals to be consumed away from home. SYSCO’s business is supplying food and related products to restaurants, hotels, healthcare facilities, schools, fast food and other institutions which provide those meals. Foodservice distribution today is more than a $200 billion industry, one of the largest in the U. S. economy.
In 1969, nine independent entrepreneurs in food marketing and distribution recognized the emergence of eating away from home as an industry with exciting growth potential, as personal disposable income rose and more women entered the work force. Simultaneously, they recognized the growing complexity of the business and an increasing demand for regional and ultimately, national support from food distributors as hotel, hospital and restaurant chains expanded. These companies merged to form SYSCO - a Systems and Services Company.
Its philosophy then, as now, was to be a trusted supplier, providing foodservice customers with broad lines of consistently high quality products. Since its founding, SYSCO has grown from an idea to a $36.9 billion food marketing organization. Today, the company is the continent’s largest marketer and distributor of foodservice products, operating 177 distribution facilities, serving more than 400,000 restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, retirement homes, fairs, sporting events, theme parks and countless other locations where food is prepared.
SYSCO’s distribution network extends throughout the continental United States, as well as portions of Alaska and Canada. The past, present and future success of SYSCO is based on its ability to create flexible marketing and distribution techniques required to service the needs of a broad range of customers across the country. SYSCO’s innovations in food technology, packaging and transportation provide customers with quality products, delivered on time, in excellent condition and at reasonable prices. SYSCO is well positioned with the necessary financial resources, marketing and management personnel to increase their share of the foodservice industry well into the next century.