Imperial Dade

Consolidated market position through the completion of 13 add-on acquisitions and expanded private label business.

Headquartered in Jersey City, NJ, Imperial Dade (“Imperial”) is a leading distributor of foodservice, paper, packaging, and janitorial supplies in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. Imperial serves more than 40,000 customers through a footprint of 27 branches operating in 13 states and has a growing a network of strategically located distribution centers with over 620 fleet vehicles. Audax acquired Imperial in January 2016 and helped the company grow both organically and by acquisitions to become a leader in the disposable food service and janitorial supplies industry.

During Audax’ hold period, Imperial consolidated their market position in the tristate region while expanding into new geographies through the completion of 13 add-on acquisitions. In partnership with the Imperial team, Audax supported the expansion of the company’s private label business, onboarded national and regional customer accounts, aided in launching successful cross-selling programs, and developed a pipeline of over $3 billion of acquisition opportunities. Through expansion into new customer segments and product categories, Imperial increased organic revenue growth by over 6%.

“During our partnership, Imperial Dade executed an aggressive Buy & Build strategy. The company completed 13 acquisitions, expanding the geographical footprint, broadening its product and service offerings, and driving organic growth while maintaining its culture and differentiated service quality,” said Don Bramley, Managing Director, Audax Group.
“Audax’ support and expertise in executing the buy and build strategy was extremely valuable as we rapidly expanded our market share and geographic reach,” said Robert Tillis, CEO of Imperial Dade

In June 2019, Imperial was sold to Bain Capital Private Equity.

“Audax has been a valuable partner in helping us grow Imperial Dade into the leading national distributor. We look forward to capitalizing on the significant growth opportunity in front of us by leveraging our acquisition strategy, operational expertise, and scalable platform to better serve our customer base.” Robert Tillis, CEO, Imperial Dade