Peterson Co
Peterson Company is a privately held specialty food distributor, founded 1947, supplying 5,000+ SKUs across cheese, baked goods, and ingredients to B2B bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets, and food manufacturers via a 24/7 online platform with free delivery and 3PL services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Peterson Co does
Peterson Company (also operating as Peterson Cheese) is a privately held specialty food distributor founded in 1947 and headquartered in Washington, United States, with 251-500 employees. The company supplies a catalog of over 5,000 specialty food products across 15 categories — led by cheese (998 SKUs sourced from 22+ countries), baked goods & ingredients, beverages, chocolate, and condiments — to B2B customers including independent and chain bakeries, restaurants, pizzerias, supermarket chains, gourmet shops, natural food stores, food manufacturers, and cafes.
The company's core technology stack is a standard e-commerce catalog platform supporting 24/7 online ordering, account-based pricing access, and order management, supplemented by field sales representatives providing personalized B2B service. Value-added capabilities include custom cutting & packing, merchandising & promotion support, third-party logistics (3PL) and East Coast warehousing, and event support services — moving the company beyond pure distribution into integrated customer operations. Marketing channels include a Monthly Provisions Flyer email newsletter, Instagram (@petersoncheese), a Digital Library with video tutorials, and curated sub-brands (Satio Collection, The Cheese Course).
Peterson's business model is B2B specialty food distribution with account-based recurring ordering, free delivery, and a self-reported 99% fill rate. Revenue is generated through product sales across the catalog, supplemented by 3PL service fees from vendors using its warehousing operations. Customer concentration is spread across multiple verticals with no publicly disclosed anchor accounts. There are no AI/ML capabilities, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no recent leadership changes documented in the source data.
Peterson Co firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Peterson Co
- Website
- https://petersoncheese.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Peterson Company is a privately held specialty food distributor, founded 1947, supplying 5,000+ SKUs across cheese, baked goods, and ingredients to B2B bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets, and food manufacturers via a 24/7 online platform with free delivery and 3PL services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Peterson Co industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Food Distribution
- NAICS
- Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers (42449)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty & Gourmet Foods Distribution (CRAOABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)
Keywords
Where Peterson Co is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Peterson Co business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Specialty Food Distribution: Peterson Company generates revenue through the distribution and sale of specialty food ingredients and retail goods to B2B customers including bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets, and food manufacturers. Revenue is derived from product sales with free delivery offered to customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Account-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Peterson Co product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Peterson Company distributes a catalog of over 5,000 specialty food products across categories including cheese, baked goods, beverages, bread and crackers, chocolate, condiments, dairy, fruits and vegetables, meats, pasta, prepared foods, sauces, and soups. The company sells and delivers these products to B2B customers in the foodservice and food retail industry and complements distribution with value-added services including custom cutting and packing, merchandising and promotion, third-party logistics/warehousing, and event support, accessed through a 24/7 online ordering platform.
Product overview
Peterson Company is a specialty food ingredients and retail goods distributor serving diverse customer segments including independent bakeries, restaurants, pizzerias, supermarket chains, natural food stores, food manufacturers, and gourmet shops. The company's product portfolio centers on its comprehensive specialty food catalog featuring over 5,000 products across 15 categories including cheese (the largest category with 998 products), baked goods & ingredients, beverages, bread and crackers, chocolate, condiments and seasoning, dairy, fruits & vegetables, meat/poultry/seafood, nuts/seeds/oils/vinegars, pasta/rice/beans, prepared foods, sauces/spreads/dips, soups/bases, and supplies. The offering is complemented by value-added services including cutting & packing, merchandising & promotion, third-party logistics (3PL), event support, and a 24/7 online ordering platform. The company also provides a Digital Library with educational resources and publishes a monthly Provisions Flyer for product discovery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Satio Collection: A product collection/brand featured in the company's Discover section
- The Cheese Course
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% fill rate
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Peterson Co
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Peterson Co technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Peterson Co partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Peterson Co competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Performance Food Group: Major broadline foodservice distributor whose Vistar specialty business and ongoing M&A activity position it as a competitor in the specialty distribution space where Peterson operates.
- US Foods: Second-largest broadline foodservice distributor with a growing specialty portfolio through brands like Stock Yards — competes for the same restaurant, bakery, and gourmet retail accounts as Peterson.
- United Natural Foods (UNFI): Largest natural and specialty foods distributor in North America serving retailers like Whole Foods — operates at significantly greater scale than Peterson but competes for the same specialty and natural food B2B accounts.
- Sysco Corporation: Largest broadline foodservice distributor in the U.S. — increasingly expanding specialty/gourmet SKUs and acquiring niche distributors, posing a competitive threat to specialty players like Peterson.
Direct peers
- KeHE Distributors: One of the largest pure-play specialty food and natural product distributors in North America, supplying independent grocers, natural food stores, and specialty retailers — directly comparable to Peterson's B2B specialty distribution model.
- Baldor Specialty Foods: Northeast-focused specialty food distributor serving restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators with premium produce, dairy, cheese, and specialty ingredients — closely mirrors Peterson's product mix and customer base in the East Coast region.
- Chef's Warehouse: Specialty foodservice distributor focused on independent restaurants with curated assortments of proteins, cheese, and specialty ingredients — operates a similar B2B specialty model targeting chefs and gourmet retailers.
- Sid Wainer & Son: Fourth-generation specialty food importer and distributor serving restaurants, retailers, and foodservice customers with cheese, charcuterie, and gourmet items — directly comparable in scale, product breadth, and customer profile.
Emerging players
- Goldbelly: Online marketplace connecting artisan food producers with consumers nationwide — represents a digital-first, emerging distribution model that could eventually disintermediate traditional specialty wholesalers serving the same artisan supplier base.
Regional players
- Ben E. Keith Company: Regional foodservice distributor serving the Southwest and Southeast with broadline and specialty offerings — comparable in product breadth but operates in a different geographic territory than Peterson's East Coast focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Peterson Co social profiles
Digital presencePeterson Co financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Peterson Co leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Peterson Co funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Peterson Co M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Peterson Co
What does Peterson Co do?
Peterson Company distributes a catalog of over 5,000 specialty food products across categories including cheese, baked goods, beverages, bread and crackers, chocolate, condiments, dairy, fruits and vegetables, meats, pasta, prepared foods, sauces, and soups. The company sells and delivers these products to B2B customers in the foodservice and food retail industry and complements distribution with value-added services including custom cutting and packing, merchandising and promotion, third-party logistics/warehousing, and event support, accessed through a 24/7 online ordering platform.
Is Peterson Co a public or private company?
Peterson Co is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Peterson Co founded?
Peterson Co was founded in 1947. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Peterson Co based?
Peterson Co is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Peterson Co make money?
One revenue line is on record: specialty Food Distribution.
Who are Peterson Co's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Performance Food Group, US Foods, United Natural Foods (UNFI) and Sysco Corporation. Direct peers are KeHE Distributors, Baldor Specialty Foods, Chef's Warehouse and Sid Wainer & Son. Goldbelly is listed as an emerging player. Ben E. Keith Company is listed as a regional player.
Does Peterson Co have an API?
No public API is recorded for Peterson Co.
What industry is Peterson Co in?
Peterson Co's product category is Specialty Food Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOABAF, Specialty & Gourmet Foods Distribution, with a secondary code of CRAOAAAI, Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution. Its NAICS code is 42449 and its SIC code is 5141.