Colabor

What Colabor does

Colabor is a Quebec-based broadline food distributor founded in 1962, serving restaurants, hotels, institutions, independent distributors, and grocery and convenience stores across Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. The company offers a catalog of over 10,000 food and non-food SKUs spanning grocery, proteins, produce, seafood, dairy, bakery, beverages, ready-to-eat meals, and non-food items, and operates two exclusive private label brands: MENU (value-oriented) and Les Pêcheries Norref (premium fresh fish and seafood). Distribution is executed from five warehouse and distribution facilities located in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville (head office), Lévis, Rimouski, Chicoutimi, and Montreal (Norref division), supported by a managed cold chain.

The commercial platform rests on two purpose-built online ordering portals — PCI (Portail de commande internet, for direct clients) and PGS (Portail global de services, for independent distributor partners) — both available 24/7, complemented by a field sales force that provides account-level service and pricing on a quote basis. Revenue is generated through product resale at margins determined by volume, product type, and customer relationship; private label SKUs contribute differentiated margin. The go-to-market is sales-led with self-serve ordering overlay, supported by content marketing (corporate site, YouTube "Causerie gourmande" series), email/newsletter, and industry events such as Salon de la restauration 2026 and Soirées découvertes.

Following a Q3 2025 impairment-driven net loss, Colabor and certain subsidiaries obtained CCAA creditor protection from the Superior Court of Quebec on January 8, 2026. The court-supervised Sale and Investment Solicitation Process produced four binding offers accepted March 27, 2026, with definitive agreements signed April 9, 2026. On April 27, 2026, the restructuring closed with Financière Outremont Inc., controlled by Pierre Karl Péladeau, acquiring substantially all assets of Colabor Group Inc., Norref Fisheries Quebec Inc., and Transport Paul-Émile Dubé Ltée; Le Groupe Resto-Achats Inc. assets were sold to a Quebec investor consortium, and Tout-Prêt Inc. was sold to an employee group. Operating subsidiaries include Norref Fisheries Quebec Inc. (seafood), Transport Paul-Émile Dubé Ltée (transportation), Le Groupe Resto-Achats Inc. (food distribution), and the intermediate holding entities Gestion Colabor Inc. and Colabor, Société en commandite. Leadership transitions during the restructuring included the passing of Chairman Warren J. White (October 2025), the resignations of directors Robert Johnston and Danièle Bergeron, and the appointments of Denis Mathieu as interim Chairman and Marc-Antoine Daoust and Yanick Blanchard (CRO) to support the proceedings.

Name

Colabor

Legal name

Grupo Colabor Inc.

Website

https://colabor.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Colabor is a Quebec-based broadline food distributor founded in 1962, serving restaurants, hotels, institutions, independent distributors, and grocery retailers across Quebec and Atlantic Canada with 10,000+ SKUs via five distribution centers and two online ordering portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foodservice Distribution

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Beverage (Non-Alcoholic) Foodservice Distribution (CRAOABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAG), Non-Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Soft Drinks, Water, Juice, RTD Coffee/Tea) (AFAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Food distribution
• Wholesale foodservice
• Restaurant supply
• Private label brands
• Online ordering portal

Headquarters

HQ city

Boucherville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Food Distribution and Wholesale: Colabor generates revenue primarily through the distribution and wholesale of food products to restaurants, hotels, institutions, and grocery stores. The company offers over 10,000 food and non-food products, providing competitive pricing and reliable delivery services. Revenue is generated through product sales with pricing determined by volume, product type, and customer relationship.
2. Private Label Brands: Colabor offers exclusive private label brands including MENU and Les Pêcheries Norref (Norref Fisheries), which provide differentiated products with higher margins. These branded products contribute to revenue while building customer loyalty.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Colabor is a Quebec-based food distributor that offers over 10,000 food and non-food products to restaurants, hotels, institutions, independent distributors, and grocery/convenience stores across Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The company sells through two online ordering portals (PCI for clients and PGS for distributor partners) backed by field sales representatives and five physical distribution centers. It also markets two exclusive private label brands: MENU (value-oriented) and Les Pêcheries Norref (fresh fish and seafood).

Product overview

Colabor is a food distribution company offering over 10,000 products to restaurants, hotels, institutions, and retailers across Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. The company operates through two primary online ordering platforms: PCI (Portail de commande internet) for direct clients and PGS (Portail global de services) for distribution partners. The product portfolio is organized into multiple categories including grocery, proteins, fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, dairy and eggs, ready-to-eat meals, bakery, and beverages. Colabor also offers two exclusive private label brands: MENU for value-oriented products and Les Pêcheries Norref for premium fresh seafood. The company operates distribution centers in Saint-Bruno, Lévis, Rimouski, and Chicoutimi, with a Norref division in Montreal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MENU: Private label brand offering an exclusive range of products with exceptional value for money
• Les Pêcheries Norref (Norref Fisheries)

Products and services

• Food Distribution Products (10,000+ SKUs) Comprehensive portfolio of over 10,000 food and non-food products including grocery, proteins, produce, seafood, dairy, bakery, beverages, ready-to-eat meals, and non-food items supplied to restaurants, hotels, institutions, and retailers across Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
• MENU Private Label Brand Exclusive private label brand offering an exceptional value-for-money range of food products targeted at restaurants and food service operators.
• Les Pêcheries Norref (Norref Fisheries) Brand Premium fresh fish and seafood brand offering exceptional quality and value, featuring fresh seafood products sourced and distributed through the Norref division in Montreal.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Aramark: Global food services and facilities provider serving institutions (universities, hospitals, stadiums) — directly comparable in the institutional food service segment where Colabor is a primary supplier.
• Loblaw Companies: Canada's largest food retailer and wholesale distributor (through subsidiaries), serving grocery and foodservice customers across the country with broad product portfolios — overlapping with Colabor's grocery/convenience and institutional segments.
• Empire Company (Sobeys): Canadian food retail and wholesale operator (Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo) competing for grocery and institutional accounts in the same Canadian geographies served by Colabor.
• Compass Group: World's largest contract foodservice and support services company, with overlapping institutional food service customer base (hospitals, universities, workplaces) in markets served by Colabor.
• Metro Inc. Major Canadian food retailer with strong Quebec presence (Metro, Super C, Jean Coutu banners), operating significant food distribution activity that overlaps with Colabor's grocery and institutional segments in the same regional market.

Direct peers

• US Foods: Major U.S. broadline foodservice distributor with overlapping HRI focus, private label portfolio, and digital ordering capabilities — directly comparable in operating model and customer segmentation.
• Flanagan Foodservice: Canadian broadline foodservice distributor headquartered in Ontario, serving Ontario and Western Canada with a comparable HRI customer base and SKU breadth — relevant direct peer given its Canadian market focus.
• Premium Brands Holdings: Canadian specialty food manufacturer/distributor with a portfolio of branded protein and seafood products, selling through foodservice and retail channels — comparable in terms of private label/multibrand distribution strategy focused on Canada.
• Sysco Corporation: The largest broadline foodservice distributor in North America, serving exactly the same HRI customer base (restaurants, hotels, institutions) with comparable SKU breadth and private label strategy — the most direct comparable for Colabor's core business.
• Gordon Food Service: Privately held broadline foodservice distributor with strong Canadian presence, serving restaurants, hospitals, schools, and independent retailers with a comparable product mix and centralized distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/colaborcda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Colabor