Excell

What Excell does

Strata GPO is a privately held group purchasing organization serving the foodservice equipment and supplies (FE&S) industry, formed in August 2023 through the unification of predecessor buying groups Excell (founded legacy) and Nissco Restaurant Dealer Group. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the company aggregates collective buying power from 500+ dealer members and 100+ vendor partners across Heavy Equipment, Supplies, Jan/San, Disposables, and Chemicals categories. The core platform provides negotiated pricing contracts, centralized rebate management with a single-ACH payment workflow, and a member portal for real-time invoice posting, payment management, and reporting. Members gain access to pre-negotiated programs yielding an average 8–10% annual return on rebates.

Beyond purchasing aggregation, Strata GPO operates a multi-product platform with nine core service lines: negotiated pricing, back-end rebates, logistics and freight programs, special group buys, the proprietary Cutting Edge Online Training platform (video-based with NAFEM/MAFSI-accredited CFSP credits), multi-channel marketing services delivered through partners CFI Marketing and Beedash, VETS vendor-led training seminars, annual conferences (700+ attendees in Bellevue, WA and Nashville, TN), and biennial growth incentive trips. The company also operates a nonprofit arm, Cooking Up Better Lives, which has built a kitchen serving 33,000 meals annually with $90,000 in donated equipment.

The business model is subscription/membership-based, with dealer members paying annual fees for access to negotiated vendor programs, rebate management, training, marketing, and community benefits. GTM is sales-led, anchored by pre-qualification surveys, direct outreach, annual conferences, and referral-driven member acquisition. No revenue is publicly disclosed.

Name

Excell

Legal name

Strata Group Purchasing Organization

Website

https://excelldealers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strata GPO is a Denver-based group purchasing organization serving 500+ foodservice equipment dealers and 100+ vendors, delivering collective buying power, negotiated pricing, rebate management, training, and marketing services across the U.S. FE&S industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Group Purchasing Organization Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Procurement Platforms, Catalogs & Contract Purchasing (Co-ops, GPOs, eProcurement) (EDAEAIAO)

Keywords

• Group purchasing organization
• Foodservice equipment dealers
• Rebate management services
• Vendor procurement programs
• Collective buying power

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Group Purchasing Fees: Excell/Strata GPO generates revenue through membership fees from dealer members who gain access to negotiated pricing, vendor programs, rebates, and group buying power. Members access pre-negotiated contracts with suppliers including discounts, rebates, and favorable terms. The organization facilitates collective purchasing to negotiate better prices from vendors due to increased purchasing volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Excell (now Strata GPO) is a group purchasing organization that aggregates the buying power of foodservice equipment dealers to negotiate pricing, rebates, and contract terms with 100+ approved vendors across equipment, supplies, janitorial, fabrication, and ventilation categories. Members access pre-negotiated contracts, centralized rebate collection and ACH-based accounting, marketing services, logistics and freight programs, the proprietary Cutting Edge Online Training platform, and annual conferences. Revenue is generated through membership fees tied to dealer purchasing volume.

Product overview

Strata GPO (formerly Excell and Nissco) is a group purchasing organization for the foodservice equipment and supplies (FE&S) industry that provides collective buying power, negotiated pricing, and operational programs to dealer members. The core platform offers vendor programs and purchasing leverage, supported by add-on modules including Cutting Edge Online Training (education), VETS (vendor training), Rebate Management Services (accounting), Marketing Services (digital/print), Annual Conference (networking), Growth Incentive Trips (rewards), Logistics/Freight Programs, and Special Group Buys. The company also partners with over 100 industry suppliers across equipment, supplies, janitorial, and fabrication categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cooking Up Better Lives: Nonprofit organization that allows restaurant equipment dealers and vendors the opportunity to advance in corporate good and social responsibility. Builds kitchens at low to no cost for charitable causes.

Products and services

• Strata GPO Membership Program (Group Purchasing) Core group purchasing organization membership for foodservice equipment and supplies dealers, providing access to pre-negotiated net pricing, vendor programs, and rebates with 100+ approved suppliers across heavy equipment, supplies, janitorial, disposables, and fabrication categories.
• Cutting Edge Online Training Proprietary video-based training platform for the foodservice equipment and supplies industry offering product category training, vendor partner webinars, soft-skills training, and a resource library. Earns CFSP credits through NAFEM collaboration and includes MAFSI partnerships.
• Rebate Management and Accounting Services
• Marketing Services Program
• VETS (Vendor Education and Training Seminar)
• Logistics and Freight Programs
• Special Group Buys
• Annual Member Conference
• Growth Incentive Trip

Quantifiable outcome

• 8-10% average annual return on rebates for dealer members
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and support.

• 100+ Equipment and Supplies VendorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 August 2023Strata GPO partners with over 100 industry leading suppliers across Heavy Equipment, Supplies, Jan/San, Disposables, and Chemicals categories. These vendor partnerships enable dealer members to access competitive pricing and rebate programs through collective buying power.
• AccuTempminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023New vendor partner added in 2023 as part of Strata GPO’s expanding vendor network.
• AmericanRange-HatcominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023New vendor partner added in 2023 as part of Strata GPO’s expanding vendor network.
• AmerikoolerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023New vendor partner added in 2023. Award recipient for Commitment to Training.
• Arctic IndustriesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023New vendor partner added in 2023 as part of Strata GPO’s expanding vendor network.
• CDNminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023New vendor partner added in 2023 as part of Strata GPO’s expanding vendor network.
• JacksonWWSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023New vendor partner added in 2023 as part of Strata GPO’s expanding vendor network.
• True ManufacturingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023New vendor partner added in 2023 as part of Strata GPO’s expanding vendor network.
• National Equipment & Supply Association (NESA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Nissco acquired NESA, a subsidiary of UniPro Foodservice, Inc., in 2020. This strategic acquisition expanded Nissco’s market position and contributed to the formation of the larger Strata GPO collective.
• Cooking Up Better Lives (Nonprofit)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Strata GPO’s nonprofit organization allowing restaurant equipment dealers and vendors to advance corporate good and social responsibility. Coordinates national efforts to build kitchens at low to no cost for charitable organizations. Built a kitchen serving 33,000 meals annually with $90,000 in donated equipment.
• Cutting Edge Online TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProprietary training platform developed by Excell/Nissco (now Strata GPO). The industry’s most comprehensive video-based training platform for dealers. Features collaborations with NAFEM and MAFSI, product training, webinars, and CFSP credit programs.
• FE&S MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive partnership with Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Magazine for quarterly sales flyers featuring valuable educational content. Biannual catalog partnership featuring 100 vendors and 5,200+ products.
• NAFEMsupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Association for the Specification; Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers. Collaboration for Cutting Edge Online Training platform credibility and CFSP certification programs.
• MAFSIsupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturers’ Agents for the Foodservice Industry. Collaboration for Cutting Edge Online Training platform credibility.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Vizient: Vizient is a leading healthcare performance and GPO organization. It shares the collective-buying and member-services DNA of Strata, illustrating how GPOs can expand into adjacent services like analytics, education, and consulting.
• Foodbuy: Foodbuy is the procurement arm of Compass Group and one of the largest foodservice GPOs in North America. It overlaps with Strata's collective-buying model but operates at much larger scale and is captive to a major foodservice operator.
• Bunzl plc: Bunzl is a global distribution and procurement services group operating across foodservice, hospitality, janitorial, and retail. It is an incumbent that competes for the same downstream customers Strata's dealer members serve, particularly in consumables categories.
• Premier Inc. Premier is a large healthcare GPO that demonstrates the institutional GPO business model at scale. While in a different vertical, it is a useful analog for how a member-owned collective can grow transaction volume and add service lines over time.

Direct peers

• Edward Don & Company: Edward Don is one of the largest foodservice equipment and supplies distributors in the U.S., serving dealers and end-users. It competes with Strata member dealers and offers similar vendor-aggregated programs to its customer base.
• UniPro Foodservice: UniPro is a foodservice equipment and supplies GPO serving independent dealers nationwide. It is the most direct competitor to Strata GPO and was the prior parent of NESA before its 2020 acquisition by Nissco (now Strata).

Others

• MAFSI: MAFSI (Manufacturers' Agents for the Foodservice Industry) is a key industry association that collaborates with Strata on the Cutting Edge Online Training platform. It is an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but operates in the same FE&S channel.
• NAFEM: NAFEM is the National Association for the Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers and a strategic partner providing CFSP certification credits through Strata's training platform. It shapes industry standards that Strata's member programs rely on.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stratagpo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strata-gpo
• Xx.com/excell_dealers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Excell