Franky Fresh Food and UpFresh join forces in one group

The core business of Franky Fresh Food and UpFresh consists of the distribution of food products with ancillary services, striving to relieve the client in the broadest sense of the word, including assortment advice, promotional and marketing support, category management and stock management. As a wholesaler, Franky Fresh Food, a part of Willy Naessens Food Group, and UpFresh, with the Depuydt family, supply fresh products from two head offices and five hubs to butchers, caterers, delicatessens, independent supermarkets, retail centres and food service companies, among others.

Franky Fresh Food, founded in 1977 and part of the Willy Naessens group since 2007, and Upfresh, founded in 1945 and today run by the third and fourth generations of the Depuydt family, each successfully built up a fine position over the past decades. With this joining of forces, they ensure local anchoring and a solid base to anticipate changing market needs in order to continue to inspire their customers.

This collaboration is founded on preserving their own strengths and a heritage of, combined, more than 120 years of family entrepreneurship. Both business groups will continue to offer the same, trusted services. All family shareholders will remain on board in the new constellation. This operation is subject to the usual conditions, including approval from the Belgian Competition Authority.

"This merger creates synergies, economies of scale and opportunities in various fields for our customers, employees and suppliers. We are working together with the same goal and for the same end result," explained spokesman Dennis Ingelbeen. "We firmly believe in this consolidation while maintaining our own identity and strong family roots. Together, we are starting this new story with healthy ambition for further growth."