Horizon Sales

What Horizon Sales does

Horizon Sales Corp. is a privately held food brokerage founded in 1982 by Jack Taylor and headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. The company represents food manufacturers (principals) and drives sales of perishable products — Service Deli, Wall Deli, Dairy, Service Bakery, Produce, Meat, and Seafood — into supermarket, independent, club store, and foodservice channels across the Western and Midwestern United States. It earns revenue on a commission/transaction-fee basis tied to successful sales execution, promotional campaigns, and category development for its principal clients.

The company operates a five-pillar service model: Headquarter Sales (account management using syndicated data, business reviews, and promotional planning), Retail Field Sales Representatives (in-store execution, out-of-stock mitigation, and department-manager relationship management), Marketing & Analytics (category analysis, trend monitoring, and forecasting), Operations (trade portal expertise, deductions management, and trade funds administration), and Client Management (brand success, market visits, and sample coordination). Distribution is delivered through direct regional offices in Costa Mesa, Phoenix, Arvada, and Cincinnati, plus a partner network (Willis Marketing, Horizon Specialties, Rainbow Sales & Marketing) that extends coverage across all 12 Western States.

Horizon's principal customer set includes Kroger and its subsidiary Ralphs, Stater Bros., Smart & Final, Gelson's Markets, Jon's Markets, Bashas', and regional foodservice distributors. The company is family-owned (Taylor family) and managed by a long-tenured leadership team (CEO Theresa Battel, 38+ years; Group President Daniel Ledesma; VP Sales Scott Taylor, 36 years; VP Business Development Robbie Ledford).

Name

Horizon Sales

Legal name

Horizon Sales Corp.

Website

https://horizonsalescorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Horizon Sales Corp. is a 44-year-old, family-owned food brokerage that represents perishable-product manufacturers and drives sales into supermarket, independent, club, and foodservice channels across nine U.S. states (Western US and Midwest), earning commission-based revenue through headquarter sales, in-store field execution, and category analytics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Brokerage Services

NAICS

Food and Beverage Retailers (445)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional/Local Broadline Foodservice Distributors (AFAIAAAB)

Keywords

• Food brokerage services
• Perishable food sales
• Retail merchandising
• Headquarter sales representation
• Category management analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Brokerage/Commission Revenue: Horizon Sales operates as a food brokerage firm, earning commissions by representing food manufacturers (principals) and driving sales to retailers including supermarkets, independent stores, and club stores. Revenue is generated through successful sales execution, promotional campaigns, and market development for their clients' perishable products.
2. Foodservice Brokerage: Foodservice division based in Colorado extending to Arizona, recognized as a top Food Service Broker in Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions, generating revenue through broker commissions on foodservice sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Horizon Sales is a food brokerage firm that represents perishable food manufacturers (principals) by selling and merchandising their products into supermarket, independent retail, club store, and foodservice channels across the Western and Midwestern United States. The company delivers a five-pillar service suite covering headquarter sales, retail field sales representation, marketing and analytics, operations support (trade portals, deductions management, order processing), and client management for perishables categories including Service Deli, Wall Deli, Dairy, Service Bakery, Produce, Meat, and Seafood.

Product overview

Horizon Sales is a sales and marketing organization providing a unified suite of services to the perishables industry. The company offers five interconnected service areas: Headquarter Sales for national/regional account management, Retail Field Sales Representatives for in-store execution, Marketing & Analytics for data-driven insights, Operations for trade support and deductions management, and Client Management for brand partnership and relationship management. These services collectively support perishables (Service Deli, Wall Deli, Dairy, Service Bakery, Produce, Meat, and Seafood) across Supermarket, Independent, and Club Store channels in Western and Midwest US markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Headquarter Sales
• Retail Field Sales Representatives Field sales team embedded in retail stores who engage with department managers, resolve distribution issues, ensure product availability, provide hands-on training, and build lasting customer relationships on behalf of manufacturer principals.
• Marketing & Analytics In-depth sales and category analysis services interpreting syndicated data, monitoring industry trends, identifying sales patterns, setting fiscal goals, and assisting with volume planning and forecasting for food manufacturer principals.
• Operations Trade portal expertise, sales support, new item forms processing, promotion setup, trade funds management, deductions management with backup reconciliation, order processing, price change communications, and advertising support coordination for food manufacturer principals.
• Client Management Brand success services including sales growth, product placement, client interaction facilitation, market visit coordination, training, sample request handling, and timely market insights dissemination for food manufacturer principals.
• Foodservice Brokerage Foodservice sales team providing product development, culinary support, and relationship management with brokers, distributors, and regional and national chain restaurants, C-stores, and institutional feeders in the Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 44 years in business (1982-2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TysonminorOthers · 1 December 2022Operation Orange partnership in December 2022 where Horizon and Tyson volunteers made 1000+ lunches for those in need using 208 pounds of Tyson ham and 60 pounds of cheese.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities Las VegasminorOthers · 1 September 2021Horizon recognized as September 2021 Business Benefactor of the Month by Ronald McDonald House Charities Las Vegas. Company employees participate in volunteer activities.
• Bashas'minorOthers · 1 January 2021Arizona supermarket chain partnered with Horizon Southwest for community events including Thanksgiving meal preparation (295 meals in 2021) and Guinness World Records celebration for Basha's 90th anniversary (14,000+ donuts donated).
• Willis MarketingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlliance partnership with Willis Marketing in the Pacific Northwest extending Horizon's regional coverage across all 12 Western States including Alaska. This partnership solidifies Horizon's presence in the Pacific Northwest region.
• Horizon SpecialtiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister company partnership covering the Northern California market, part of Horizon's Western Region partner network.
• Rainbow Sales & MarketingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner covering the Hawaii market as part of Horizon Sales Partners Western Region network.
• Friendly CenterminorOthersOrange County nonprofit (est. 1924) partnered with Horizon for Easter Basket Drives, Back to School initiatives, and Thanksgiving meal basket programs supporting low-income families.
• Share Our SelvesminorOthersOrange County nonprofit receiving ongoing support from Horizon including Project PB&J monthly partnerships, school supply drives, holiday food drives, and adopt-a-family programs.
• Orange County Rescue MissionminorOthersMonthly volunteer program where Horizon employees assist with meal service at Restoration Cafe on Monday evenings. Also received baby kits from Horizon team.
• LIFT ProgramminorOthersHigh school program receiving kit donations from Horizon team at August 2023 All Team event where 33 new staff members were welcomed.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• C.A. Fortune: Retail sales and marketing agency providing brokerage, digital, and in-store services to CPG brands across grocery and foodservice channels, comparable in size and regional focus to Horizon.
• Advantage Solutions: Publicly traded sales and marketing agency serving CPG manufacturers with retail services, category management, and in-store merchandising — overlapping Horizon's principal-facing brokerage and field sales services.
• Crossmark: Retail services provider offering sales, merchandising, and marketing solutions to CPG manufacturers in grocery and drug channels — a direct functional peer to Horizon's field sales and category management offering.
• Acosta: One of the largest US food and consumer goods brokerages, providing sales, marketing, and merchandising services to manufacturers selling into grocery, mass, and club channels — directly comparable to Horizon's core brokerage model.
• INFoods (formerly Food Sales West): Regional food brokerage focused on perishables and grocery channels, with comparable principal-representation and retail field-sales services to Horizon.
• Daymon (Daymon Worldwide): Private label and retail-brand services firm providing brokerage, private label development, and category management — overlaps with Horizon's role representing principals and managing category insights.

Regional players

• Powerhouse Marketing: Regional food broker covering the Midwest and parts of the Eastern US with perishable and grocery category representation, comparable in size and channel focus to Horizon's regional model.

Others

• KeHE Distributors: Specialty food distributor serving natural, organic, and perishable categories into retail and foodservice — not a broker, but operates adjacent in the perishable supply chain that Horizon's principals ultimately serve.

Emerging players

• Perishables Group: Specialty consulting and merchandising firm focused on fresh and perishable categories — narrower in scope than Horizon but comparable in the perishable category management capabilities Horizon sells.

Broad incumbents

• Retail Odyssey (part of Acosta): Retail merchandising and reset services firm serving major grocery and CPG customers with in-store execution — adjacent to Horizon's field sales representative service line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6838866855713734656
• Xx.com/horizon_sales

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 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 Horizon Sales