What Testa Produce does

Testa Produce is a family-operated wholesale produce distributor headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that traces its operational roots to 1912 and was formally incorporated as Testa Produce Inc. in 1991. The company distributes fresh, local, organic, specialty, and conventional produce as well as dry goods, frozen items, beverages, and value-added products across an assortment of more than 25,000 SKUs, including its Testa Natural sub-brand focused on natural, organic, and plant-based foodservice items. Operations are anchored by a 91,300 square-foot LEED Platinum certified facility that opened in 2011 - the first refrigerated foodservice facility in the United States to achieve LEED Platinum status - and a 65-truck delivery fleet being converted from biodiesel to compressed natural gas.

The company serves B2B foodservice customers across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, including hotels, restaurants, hospitals, corporate dining operators, schools and educational institutions, and senior living communities. Notable customer logos span Nobu Chicago, The Westin Michigan Avenue, Streeterville Social at Loews Chicago Hotel, Hartsfield Village Retirement Community, Foodstuffs Evanston, Taqueria Chingón, and the College of DuPage. Customers order through a relationship-based direct sales team (account executives, National Accounts Manager, Director of New Business Development) and through Pepper and Classic online ordering platforms, plus iOS and Android mobile applications.

Testa Produce operates a wholesale distribution revenue model with quote-based, relationship-driven B2B pricing, sells primarily on a transaction-fee basis with recurring scheduled deliveries Monday through Saturday, and pursues a sustainability-led brand positioning reinforced by PrimusGFS, NOP Organic, USDA PACA, and LEED Platinum certifications. Forward initiatives include fleet electrification, the Testa Natural sub-brand buildout, the Back-to-School educational program, and continued digitization of ordering.

Name

Testa Produce

Legal name

Testa Produce Inc.

Website

https://testaproduce.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Testa Produce is a family-operated Chicago-based wholesale produce distributor serving hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools, and corporate dining across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. Since 1912 it has delivered fresh, local, organic, and specialty foodservice items via a 65-truck fleet from a LEED Platinum facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Produce Distribution: Testa Produce generates revenue through wholesale distribution of fresh produce, dry goods, frozen foods, beverages, and value-added items to foodservice customers. They offer over 25,000 items including local, organic, specialty, and conventional produce. The company operates on a direct delivery model with their own truck fleet.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Testa Produce is a wholesale produce distributor serving B2B foodservice customers across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. The company distributes fresh produce, dry goods, frozen foods, beverages, and value-added items through direct delivery using its own 65-truck fleet. It operates the Testa Natural sub-brand offering over 25,000 natural, organic, plant-based, and specialty foodservice items, and provides online ordering through the Pepper platform, Classic ordering system, and a mobile app.

Product overview

Testa Produce operates as a wholesale produce distributor offering multiple interconnected services: core produce distribution (fresh, local, organic, specialty items) supplemented by the Testa Natural sub-brand with over 25,000 natural and organic items, plus a dry goods program for pantry staples. Customers access offerings through multiple channels including the Pepper online platform, Classic ordering system, and a mobile app for iOS and Android. The company also serves institutional customers like schools through dedicated programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Testa Produce (Core Wholesale Distribution) Premier wholesale produce distribution service serving hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools, and corporate dining establishments in Chicagoland. Offers domestic and international products with specialization in local, seasonal, specialty, and organic produce, delivered via the company's own 65-truck fleet.
• Testa Natural Sub-brand offering over 25,000 natural, organic, plant-based, and specialty foodservice items, providing one of the largest selections of natural and organic foodservice items in the local area.
• Dry Goods Program Comprehensive dry goods program featuring pantry staples and specialty items, curated to meet the highest standards of quality alongside fresh produce offerings.
• Back to School Program Program providing schools, cafeterias, and institutions with back-to-school essentials including fresh fruits, vegetables, pre-cut produce, and key food staples for nutritious student meals, with an emphasis on sustainability, local sourcing, and reliable delivery.

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Riveridge Produce MarketingcoreOthersLocal produce vendor partnership. Riveridge Produce Marketing is a local vendor that supplies produce to Testa Produce for distribution to their foodservice customers.
• Phoenix BeancoreOthersLocal Chicago-based tofu producer. Phoenix Bean supplies fresh, locally made tofu to Testa Produce, which is highlighted for school lunch programs as a plant-based protein option.
• Goebbert Family FarmscoreOthersLocal family farm partnership supplying fresh produce. Goebbert Family Farms is part of Testa's local vendor network supporting the Buy Local initiative.
• Scheeringa FarmscoreOthersLocal produce supplier. Scheeringa Farms is featured as a local vendor in Testa's supporting local program.
• Russel Costanza FarmsminorOthersLocal produce vendor. Listed as part of Testa's local vendor network.
• Superior SalesminorOthersLocal vendor partner. Part of Testa's supporting local vendor network.
• Purely Meat Co.coreOthersFamily-owned Chicago meat wholesaler with 80+ years of tradition. Specializes in hand-cut steaks, chops, heritage-bred meats, and responsibly sourced proteins. Musillami family led business serving chefs and restaurants throughout Chicagoland.
• Local Style ChipsminorOthersChicago-based, woman-owned snack company bringing iconic Chicago food flavors to kettle-cooked potato chips. Founded by Laura Gardner. Flavors include deep dish pizza, Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dogs, and giardiniera.
• Natalie's Orchid Island Juice CompanycoreOthersFlorida-based juice brand founded in 1989. Fourth-generation Florida citrus family business. Women-owned brand producing minimally processed, never from concentrate juice without preservatives, added sugars, or artificial ingredients. Distributed nationally.
• Pure GreenminorOthersNew York City-born wellness brand founded in 2014. Known for cold-pressed juices, smoothies, acai bowls, oatmeal bowls, and wellness shots. Serving customers in over 30 states through juice bars and wholesale partners. Founded by Ross Franklin.
• B&W Quality GrowerscoreOthersHeritage leafy greens brand with over 150 years of farming expertise (founded 1870). World-leading growers of nutrient-dense baby leaves including watercress, arugula, and spinach. Supplies retail, wholesale, foodservice, and specialty customers across North America and Europe.
• College of DuPagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner hosting the Annual Kathy Testa Memorial Scholarship Culinary Competition. The competition supports aspiring culinary professionals with financial assistance for tuition, supplies, textbooks, and fees.
• U.S. Green Building CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertifying body that awarded Testa Produce LEED Platinum Certification. First Foodservice Facility to achieve this status in the United States.
• Organic ValleycoreOthersCooperative of family farms producing organic milk without synthetic hormones or antibiotics. Featured supplier for school lunch programs through Testa Produce.
• OMG It's Gluten FreeminorOthersCertified gluten-free product brand featured for school food service. Fully prepared, allergy-conscious products popular with schools for lunch programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FreshPoint: Specialty produce distributor serving foodservice operators across the U.S., wholly owned by Sysco. Directly comparable to Testa Produce's fresh produce distribution model, with similar customer verticals (restaurants, hotels, healthcare) but at national scale.
• KeHE Distributors: Specialty and natural foods distributor serving independent retailers and foodservice operators nationwide. Highly comparable to Testa Natural given shared focus on natural, organic, and specialty product distribution.
• Pro*Act: Network of regional produce distributors serving foodservice customers across the U.S. Closely comparable business model to Testa Produce as a specialty produce-focused foodservice distributor.
• Baldor Specialty Foods: Specialty produce and foodservice distributor based in the Northeast, serving restaurants and hospitality customers with a deep specialty catalog. Comparable to Testa's Testa Natural positioning and produce-focused foodservice model.

Broad incumbents

• Sysco Corporation: The largest foodservice distributor in North America, offering broadline products plus specialty produce (via FreshPoint). Competes with Testa Produce for larger foodservice accounts in the Midwest with greater scale, catalog breadth, and procurement leverage.
• US Foods: Second-largest U.S. broadline foodservice distributor with a growing specialty and local sourcing program. Competes with Testa on multi-category foodservice contracts across the same Midwest geographies.
• Performance Food Group: Public foodservice distributor with Vistar and Core-Mark segments, plus broadline operations. Targets the same restaurants, hospitality, and institutional customer base that Testa serves, with substantially larger scale.
• Gordon Food Service: Privately held broadline foodservice distributor serving restaurants, schools, healthcare, and hospitality across the Midwest and beyond. Directly comparable customer verticals and regional Midwest overlap with Testa Produce.

Regional players

• Ben E. Keith Foods: Regional broadline foodservice distributor primarily serving the Southwest and South-Central U.S. Comparable foodservice model with similar institutional customer mix (restaurants, schools, healthcare).
• Shamrock Foods: Family-operated foodservice distributor and manufacturer based in Arizona, serving restaurants, hotels, and schools across the Western U.S. Comparable family-run governance and foodservice distribution model to Testa Produce.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/testaproduceinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/TestaProduceInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/testa-produce-inc-

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Testa Produce