Navis Food Partners Announces Leadership Transitions to Support Continued Growth and Strategic Focus

Boston, MA

Frontenac announced today that its portfolio company, Navis Food Partners, a premier independent foodservice distribution platform in the Northeast, has appointed Owen Schiano as CEO.

Owen joins Navis with more than 20 years of leadership experience. He has built a reputation for driving business transformation, scaling complex operations, and delivering consistent results in the distribution industry. He brings to Navis a deep understanding of the evolving distribution landscape and a commitment to innovation, collaboration and long-term value creation.

Owen previously spent ten years at US Foods taking on expanding leadership roles including Region President, Atlantic Region and Executive Vice President of National Sales. Following US Foods, Owen served as President, U.S. Field Group and Chief Operating Officer at American Tire Distributors, where he led large-scale operations and field strategy across the organization.

ROBERT BERKOWITZ NAMED CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

After more than four decades of leadership at City Line Distributors and two years as CEO of Navis Food Partners, Robert Berkowitz has transitioned to the role of Navis Chairman Emeritus while continuing to serve on the Board of Directors and remain a major equity holder. In this capacity, Robert will continue to actively support the company by focusing on platform strategy and identifying accretive acquisition opportunities.

“It has been a true privilege to lead Navis Food Partners and work alongside such talented individuals,” said Robert. “I look forward to supporting Owen and the team and contributing in a new way as we continue building a business with strength, scale, and long-term vision.”

PAUL GREEN RETURNS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Paul Green, who has served as Navis’ President during a pivotal period of integration and growth, will return to his role on the company’s Board of Directors.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and confident in the leadership team that’s in place,” said Paul. “As a board member, I look forward to continuing to support the company’s strategic direction.”

These leadership changes reflect the continued investment that Navis Food Partners has made in its people, capabilities, and platform to support sustainable, long-term growth.

ABOUT NAVIS FOOD PARTNERS

Navis Food Partners is the largest, independent foodservice distribution platform based in New England.  The company aims to deliver exceptional service and value to restaurant operators and food establishments throughout the Northeast.  Navis Food Partners’ strategy is centered around acquiring complementary companies with unique capabilities, expanding the platform geographically and across categories.  Navis Food Partners members include City Line Distributors and Prime Source Foods.   For more information, please visit www.navisfood.com.

ABOUT FRONTENAC

Frontenac is a Chicago-based private equity firm. The firm focuses on investing in lower middle market buyout transactions in the consumer, industrial, and services industries. Frontenac works in partnership with established operating leaders, through an executive-centric approach called CEO1ST®, which seeks to identify, acquire, and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and operational excellence. Over the last 50+ years, Frontenac has built a franchise working with over 325 owners of mid-sized businesses as they address complex transition issues of liquidity, management enhancement, and growth planning. For more information, please visit www.frontenac.com.