Larger companiesFood distribution

    How do I sell a larger food distribution company? Food, drinks and other supplies

    Most larger food distributors sell to a bigger distributor or a private equity fund. Profit sets the price, and on margins this thin a buyer checks margin by customer, rebates and stock first. Each size from $10,000,000 to $300,000,000 in sales has its own answer below.

    Distribution and wholesale
    16 min read

    Figures: IRS tax year 2023Census through June 2026NYU Stern January 2026Market Pulse through Q2 2026Read November 12, 2026

    Legend Atty
    Legend Atty · Founder, BridgeBook
    Published
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    What profit do food distributors keep?

    The short answer: nondurable goods wholesale S corporations, food and drinks among them, kept 4.0%[1] of sales as business profit in tax year 2023, by our math on IRS figures for every size. Before interest, depreciation and amortization it was about 5.0%, against 9.7%[2] for all S corporations.

    Business profit on tax returns
    4.0%[1]Nondurable goods wholesale S corporations, all sizes, tax year 2023
    Before interest, depreciation and amortization
    5.0%[1]By our math, with equipment-sale gains
    All S corporations, same line
    9.7%[2]Every industry and size, tax year 2023
    Wholesale firms your size
    44,106[3]Employer firms, $10,000,000 to $99,999,999 in sales, 2022, every kind of goods

    The first figure is the profit these S corporations reported on their tax returns, as a share of receipts and before the owners' own income tax. It adds up all 91,412 returns, small and large, including the ones that lost money.

    The second figure puts interest, depreciation and amortization back in, by our math. That's near EBITDA, yearly profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which is what a larger buyer pays for. Includes gains on selling equipment, which the IRS doesn't publish for this industry.

    At 5.0%, one more point of margin adds about 20% to EBITDA. So two food distributors with the same sales can sell for prices far apart. That's why a buyer asks for margin by customer first.

    The IRS row covers nondurable goods: food, drinks, paper, cleaning supplies and other goods that get used up. These returns took in about $8,977,662 each, on average, by our math. So a $10,000,000 distributor is close to this row's average size.

    Exhibit 1

    Nondurable distribution beside other wholesalers, tax year 2023

    Band is sales
    Nondurable, durable and all wholesale S corporations, beside all S corporations, tax year 2023: business profit on tax returns and the figure before interest, depreciation and amortization.
    Industry or sizeBusiness profit on tax returnsBefore interest, depreciation and amortization
    Wholesale trade, nondurable goods all sizes4.0%5.0%*
    Wholesale trade, durable goods all sizes6.1%8.0%*
    Wholesale trade all sizes5.2%6.4%
    All S corporations7.5%9.7%

    * Includes gains on selling equipment, which the IRS doesn't publish for this industry.

    Sorted by business receipts, which this page calls sales. Before interest, depreciation and amortization = (business profit + interest + depreciation + amortization − net gains on selling equipment) ÷ total receipts, by our math on IRS figures.[1][2]

    Source: IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023[1]; IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023, released September 2026[2]. Industry rows cover every size of company. Exhibit 2 has the rows by size.

    The IRS sorts the size rows by business receipts, which this page calls sales. Census counted 44,106[3] wholesale firms of every kind with $10,000,000 to $99,999,999 in sales in 2022. Here's what a distribution company of any kind sells for.

    What does a food distributor earn and sell for at each size?

    At the IRS rate of 5.0%, a made-up food distributor's profit grows from $500,000 at $10,000,000 of sales to $15,000,000 at $300,000,000. Our sold-deal data ends at companies that sold for $50,000,000, and the two largest examples pass it.

    Exhibit 2

    Seven made-up food distributors at the IRS rate of 5.0%

    Band is sales
    Seven made-up food distributors: sales, the IRS size row for that size, EBITDA at the nondurable wholesale rate, and what the sold-deal data behind our calculator puts on it
    SalesIRS size rowEBITDA at 5.0%Our sold-deal range
    $10,000,0009.1%$500,000$1,521,867 to $2,511,080
    $20,000,0009.1%$1,000,000$3,116,850 to $4,911,240
    $30,000,0009.1%$1,500,000$5,253,975 to $7,590,465
    $50,000,0008.0%$2,500,000$10,000,000 to $14,500,000
    $100,000,0008.0%$5,000,000$20,000,000 to $29,000,000
    $200,000,0008.0%$10,000,000Past our data
    $300,000,0008.2%$15,000,000Past our data

    Source: IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023[1]; IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023, released September 2026[2]; IBBA and M&A Source, Second quarter of 2026[4]. Made-up examples. The rate is nondurable goods wholesale S corporations of every size. Ranges are the sold-deal data behind our calculator, all industries together, checked November 2, 2026.

    The size row is every S corporation that size, before interest, depreciation and amortization. A food distributor runs well under it at every size, so its profit reaches our data's line later than most companies' do.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $10,000,000 in sales?

    Often to a distributor already running trucks in your area, or to one buyer with a bank loan. Standing orders from restaurants, stores and schools help the price. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $500,000. Our calculator puts that at $1,521,867 to $2,511,080, on owner's earnings.[1][4]

    IRS size row: $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales, 9.1% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Nondurable distribution, all sizes: 5.0%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    Our food distribution calculator asks how customers place orders: long-term recurring contracts, purchase orders, or spot orders only. Standing orders from restaurants, stores and schools are easier for a buyer to count on.

    With profit this size, our calculator prices on owner's earnings (SDE), the profit plus the owner's own pay. The whole range fits under the $5,000,000[5] cap on one SBA 7(a) loan, a bank loan the U.S. Small Business Administration backs.

    Booked calls start at $700,000 in yearly profit, and this example sits under that. With $5,000,000 or more in sales, your free valuation report offers a button to have a dedicated advisor call you instead.

    Across every industry: what a company with $10,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $20,000,000 in sales?

    Often to a bigger distributor, or to a private equity fund adding one to a distributor it owns. How your routes overlap with a buyer's matters most here. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $1,000,000. Our calculator puts that at $3,116,850 to $4,911,240, on a blend of owner's earnings and EBITDA.[1][4]

    IRS size row: $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales, 9.1% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Nondurable distribution, all sizes: 5.0%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    Here our calculator blends owner's earnings and EBITDA, and the example's profit passes $700,000, so a call with a dedicated advisor can be booked.

    A private equity fund, which buys companies with its investors' money, often owns one distributor and buys others to join it. Those add-ons were about three of every four U.S. buyouts in the second quarter of 2026, by PitchBook's count[6].

    Our view: a distributor that already serves your area can deliver to your customers on trucks it runs anyway. That's why the first serious call often comes from down the road.

    Across every industry: what a company with $20,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $30,000,000 in sales?

    To regional distributors and funds. On margins this thin, rebates from the makers you buy from can be a big share of profit, so buyers test them. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $1,500,000. Our calculator puts that at $5,253,975 to $7,590,465, on a blend of owner's earnings and EBITDA.[1][4]

    IRS size row: $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales, 9.1% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Nondurable distribution, all sizes: 5.0%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    From here even the bottom of the range needs more than one SBA loan. Some of the price may come later as an earnout, paid only if the business hits targets. SRS Acquiom found one in 35% of deals paying $25,000,000 or less at closing, closed through 2025[7]. This range falls in that group.

    Our view: many food distributors earn rebates and allowances from the makers they buy from. A buyer asks how much of your profit comes from them, and whether each program carries over to a new owner. Have two years of them, program by program.

    Across every industry: what a company with $30,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $50,000,000 in sales?

    Through a sale run for several buyers, who price your EBITDA and have their accountants test it. Your stock and what customers owe you move the cash at closing more than in most fields. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $2,500,000. Our calculator puts that at $10,000,000 to $14,500,000.[1][4]

    IRS size row: $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in sales, 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Nondurable distribution, all sizes: 5.0%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    The IRS files a $50,000,000 company in its next band, $50,000,000 to $250,000,000, at 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization. That's still well above this field's 5.0%. Our calculator now prices on EBITDA alone.

    The low end of this range lands right on $10,000,000[9] of company value. Lockton says reps and warranties insurance, a policy that pays the buyer if a contract promise proves false, is often available from there. A buyer will also want a quality of earnings report, an outside accountant's check that your profit holds up. PKF O'Connor Davies says these have been routine for decades in deals of $10,000,000 to $1,000,000,000[8] in company value.

    Working capital weighs more here than in most fields. In a food distributor it's what restaurants and stores owe you, plus stock that turns fast and spoils. Take away what you owe your suppliers.

    Lincoln International says the target is usually your average over the last 3 to 12 months[10]. Holidays and school calendars swing your stock and receivables, so ask which months count. Ask too how spoiled or short-dated stock is valued on closing day. The working capital peg, step by step.

    Across every industry: what a company with $50,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $100,000,000 in sales?

    To large distributors and to funds buying their first company in the field. Most bidders at this size are funds, and many ask you to keep part of the price as shares. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $5,000,000. Our calculator puts that at $20,000,000 to $29,000,000.[1][4]

    IRS size row: $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in sales, 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Nondurable distribution, all sizes: 5.0%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    Our data reaches $8,620,690 of EBITDA. On $100,000,000 of sales that's a margin of about 8.6%, far above this rate. So a food distributor this size stays inside it unless it runs well ahead of its field.

    The biggest wholesalers aren't much richer. The Census Bureau surveys wholesalers of every kind with $50,000,000 or more of assets each quarter. In the four quarters to June 2026, their operating profit was 3.1%[11] of sales. Adding depreciation back gives 3.9%. It counts public and private companies together.

    The buyers change too. Search funds paid a median $16,000,000[12] in 2024 and 2025, Stanford says, and this range starts above that. So most bidders are funds and larger distributors. A fund buying its first food distributor often asks you to keep a stake, called rollover equity: part of your price taken as shares. In 2024, 63.6%[13] of private equity deals of $10,000,000 to $500,000,000 used it, GF Data found. How rollover equity works.

    Across every industry: what a company with $100,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $200,000,000 in sales?

    Through a sale in rounds, with time before closing to get your suppliers' consent. In beer and wine, state laws can govern who takes over your brands. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $10,000,000. That's past the sold-deal data behind our calculator, so we don't put a figure on it. Start with a call with a dedicated advisor.[1]

    IRS size row: $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in sales, 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Nondurable distribution, all sizes: 5.0%. Our sold-deal data: stops short of it.

    Past our sold-deal data. The group behind our calculator stops at companies that sold for $50,000,000, so we don't put a figure on this one. Other publishers' figures are beside it.

    Exhibit 3

    Other publishers' figures for company values of $50,000,000 and up

    Band is company value

    Other publishers' figures, not ours

    Other publishers' figures by size: GF Data and TagniFi.
    Company valueMultiple of EBITDAStatisticBuyersPeriodPublisher
    $50,000,000 to $100,000,000Near yours8.7xAveragePrivate equity, platform buyoutsThrough the third quarter of 2025GF Data[14]
    $100,000,000 to $250,000,000Near yours10.0xAveragePrivate equity, platform buyoutsThrough the third quarter of 2025GF Data[14]
    $100,000,000 to $500,000,0009.8x against 7.0x under $100,000,000AveragePrivate equity, platform buyoutsThrough the third quarter of 2025GF Data[14]
    $50,000,000 to $200,000,000Near yours9.0xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[15]
    $200,000,000 to $500,000,00011.4xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[15]
    $50,000,000 to $200,000,000, distribution7.6xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[15]

    These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.

    Source: GF Data, Through the third quarter of 2025[14]; TagniFi, Twelve months to March 31, 2026[15].

    Marked rows are the bands closest to this example's $10,000,000 of EBITDA. TagniFi's distribution row counts every kind of distributor, not just food. Read them as other people's figures, never as your price.

    Your supplier agreements come up early at this size. In beer and wine, state laws often govern a distributor's rights to its brands. A supplier may have a say in who takes them over. Have your lawyer read each agreement before a letter of intent is signed. That's the buyer's written offer, made before its full checks.

    Getting those consents is one reason many deals are signed on one day and closed on a later one. SRS Acquiom found a gap between signing and closing in 59%[16] of its 2024 deals. Plan it with a dedicated advisor.

    Across every industry: what a company with $200,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $300,000,000 in sales?

    To national distributors and big funds. Many companies your size buy as well as sell, so a competitor can be the bidder. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $15,000,000. That's in the IRS top size band and past our data. A call with a dedicated advisor comes first.[1]

    IRS size row: $250,000,000 or more in sales, 8.2% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Nondurable distribution, all sizes: 5.0%. Our sold-deal data: stops short of it.

    A $300,000,000 distributor files in the IRS's top band, $250,000,000 or more, which also takes a company at exactly $250,000,000. That band ran 8.2% before interest, depreciation and amortization, well above this field's rate. Its average company took in $715,078,611.

    The table below narrows Exhibit 3 to the rows closest to $15,000,000 of EBITDA. They're publishers' figures, not a price for you.

    Exhibit 4

    Other publishers' figures near $15,000,000 of EBITDA

    Band is company value

    Other publishers' figures, not ours

    Other publishers' figures by size: GF Data and TagniFi.
    Company valueMultiple of EBITDAStatisticBuyersPeriodPublisher
    $100,000,000 to $250,000,000Near yours10.0xAveragePrivate equity, platform buyoutsThrough the third quarter of 2025GF Data[14]
    $50,000,000 to $200,000,000Near yours9.0xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[15]

    These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.

    Source: GF Data, Through the third quarter of 2025[14]; TagniFi, Twelve months to March 31, 2026[15].

    For scale, NYU Stern puts public food wholesalers at 3.7%[17] of sales as EBITDA, in data as of January 2026. Even the biggest food distributors run thin. The IRS rate on this page sits above theirs.

    Companies your size often buy as well as sell. Citizens surveyed companies with $25,000,000 to $1,000,000,000 in revenue in November 2025. Of them, 79% saw themselves as possible sellers, and 61% as buyers[18]. More on who buys a company your size, or talk to a dedicated advisor.

    Across every industry: what a company with $300,000,000 in sales is worth.

    What do buyers check first in a food distributor?

    Margin by customer, the routes and the stock. This is what buyers ask for, in the order they usually ask.

    1. Gross margin by customer and by product category, for the last two years.
    2. Each route: stops, average order size and cost per delivery.
    3. Shrink, the stock lost to spoilage, damage or theft, and how much is old or near its date.
    4. Rebates and allowances from suppliers, and how each one is booked.
    5. Food safety: audit results, any recalls, and the state of your coolers, freezers and trucks.

    Contracts with chains and buying groups come up too. A buyer reads how prices are set and how either side can leave.

    What moves the price of a food distributor?

    Profit first, and in a thin-margin field small changes in profit move the price a lot. Our food distribution calculator asks two questions after your sales and profit: how much revenue comes from your biggest customer, and how customers place orders.

    The biggest-customer question has three answers: less than 15%, 15% to 30%, or more than 30%. A distributor that serves one chain for much of its sales carries that risk into the price.

    Then how much of your profit rests on a few brands or one supplier's program. A buyer asks what happens if one of them leaves.

    What would your own numbers show?

    Try your own figures. The tool starts at the nondurable distribution rate, and past our sold-deal data it shows only other publishers' rows.

    Your numbers
    Yearly sales

    Industry: Food and other nondurable distribution

    IRS, food and other nondurable distribution S corporations of every size, tax year 2023, our math. Change it to yours. Includes gains on selling equipment, which the IRS doesn't publish for this industry.

    A made-up example at the IRS rate

    $2,500,000

    A made-up example: 5.0% of $50,000,000 in yearly sales. EBITDA is yearly profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

    Our sold-deal data puts that EBITDA at

    $10,000,000 to $14,500,000

    Typical $12,250,000, priced on EBITDA.

    IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse, closed deals of $5,000,000 to $50,000,000. Typical is the middle of its recent readings. Our figures checked November 2, 2026.

    Other publishers' figures, not ours

    Other publishers' figures by size: GF Data and TagniFi.
    Company valueMultiple of EBITDAPublisher
    $10,000,000 to $25,000,000Near yours5.9xGF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025
    $25,000,000 to $50,000,0006.6xGF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025
    $50,000,000 to $100,000,0008.7xGF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025
    $100,000,000 to $250,000,00010.0xGF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025
    $1,000,000 to $10,000,0005.5xTagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026
    $10,000,000 to $50,000,000Near yours7.3xTagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026
    $50,000,000 to $200,000,0009.0xTagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026
    $200,000,000 to $500,000,00011.4xTagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026

    These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.

    Why the two differ

    At this profit you can book a call with a dedicated advisor.

    Get my free valuationTalk to a dedicated advisor

    The valuation asks your sales and profit again, then your name, email and cell phone, and shows a range.

    What we'd look at first

    Bring your controller to the first call if you like. In a food distributor, a dedicated advisor goes through four things first.

    1. Gross margin for your top twenty customers and your main categories.
    2. Each month's stock, receivables and payables for the last year, to see where a target would land.
    3. Your supplier and brand agreements, and which of them need consent to a sale.
    4. What each route costs to run, and the age of your trucks.

    From there your advisor tells you what the sold-deal data says for a distributor with your profit, and where buyers tend to push. Owners often hope for more. That figure is the one a buyer's accountants will check.

    Questions about selling a food distribution company

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $10,000,000 in sales?

    Often to a distributor already running trucks in your area, or to one buyer with a bank loan. Standing orders from restaurants, stores and schools help the price. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $500,000. Our calculator puts that at $1,521,867 to $2,511,080, on owner's earnings.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $20,000,000 in sales?

    Often to a bigger distributor, or to a private equity fund adding one to a distributor it owns. How your routes overlap with a buyer's matters most here. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $1,000,000. Our calculator puts that at $3,116,850 to $4,911,240, on a blend of owner's earnings and EBITDA.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $30,000,000 in sales?

    To regional distributors and funds. On margins this thin, rebates from the makers you buy from can be a big share of profit, so buyers test them. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $1,500,000. Our calculator puts that at $5,253,975 to $7,590,465, on a blend of owner's earnings and EBITDA.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $50,000,000 in sales?

    Through a sale run for several buyers, who price your EBITDA and have their accountants test it. Your stock and what customers owe you move the cash at closing more than in most fields. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $2,500,000. Our calculator puts that at $10,000,000 to $14,500,000.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $100,000,000 in sales?

    To large distributors and to funds buying their first company in the field. Most bidders at this size are funds, and many ask you to keep part of the price as shares. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $5,000,000. Our calculator puts that at $20,000,000 to $29,000,000.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $200,000,000 in sales?

    Through a sale in rounds, with time before closing to get your suppliers' consent. In beer and wine, state laws can govern who takes over your brands. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $10,000,000. That's past the sold-deal data behind our calculator, so we don't put a figure on it. Start with a call with a dedicated advisor.

    How do I sell a food distribution company with $300,000,000 in sales?

    To national distributors and big funds. Many companies your size buy as well as sell, so a competitor can be the bidder. At the IRS rate for these wholesalers, 5.0%, a made-up food distributor this size earns about $15,000,000. That's in the IRS top size band and past our data. A call with a dedicated advisor comes first.

    What profit margin do food distributors make?

    Nondurable goods wholesale S corporations, food and drinks among them, reported 4.0% as business profit in tax year 2023, and about 5.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, by our math on IRS figures for every size. Includes gains on selling equipment, which the IRS doesn't publish for this industry.

    Do supplier rebates count in the price?

    They count when a buyer believes they carry over. Expect to show each program, what it paid for two years, and whether it continues under a new owner.

    Next to read: what a company sells for, by revenue, average profit margin by company size and from sale price to cash at closing.

    Where these numbers come from

    The sold-deal data behind our calculator: IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse, closed deals. Our figures checked November 2, 2026.

    1. IRS Statistics of Income, Corporation Income Tax Returns Complete Report (Publication 16), Table 6.1, Form 1120-S by major industry. Tax Year 2023. Read November 12, 2026.
    2. IRS Statistics of Income, Corporation Income Tax Returns Complete Report (Publication 16), Table 3.2, Form 1120-S by size of business receipts. Tax Year 2023, released September 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    3. U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses 2022, by enterprise receipts size. 2022, released April 10, 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    4. IBBA and M&A Source, Market Pulse Q2 2026 Highlights. Second quarter of 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    5. U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loans. Opened November 12, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    6. PitchBook, Q2 2026 US PE Breakdown. Second quarter of 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    7. SRS Acquiom, 2026 M&A Deal Terms Special Report: Lower Middle-Market Deals. Deals closed through 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    8. PKF O'Connor Davies, Quality of Earnings Goes Mainstream. September 15, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    9. Lockton, Transaction Liability Market Update 2025, The Americas. 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    10. Lincoln International, Bridging the Gap Between Target and Closing Net Working Capital in M&A Deals. Modified May 12, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    11. U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Financial Report, Second Quarter 2026, financial tables. Third quarter 2025 to second quarter 2026, released September 8, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    12. Stanford Graduate School of Business, Search Funds Keep Offering a Proven Path to Ownership. Purchases in 2024 and 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    13. GF Data (ACG), GF Data Highlights Fourth Quarter, 2024. Full year 2024. Read November 12, 2026.
    14. GF Data, The Size Premium Returns to 2.8x: How Employee Ownership Helps Smaller Platforms Compete. Through the third quarter of 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    15. TagniFi, PowerComps Middle Market Update for the first quarter of 2026: Quality Over Quantity. Twelve months to March 31, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    16. SRS Acquiom, 2025 M&A Deal Terms Study. Deals closed 2019 to 2024. Read November 12, 2026.
    17. Aswath Damodaran, NYU Stern, Operating and Net Margins, Margins by Sector (US). Data as of January 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    18. Citizens, M&A Market Set to Broaden as Confidence Surges (2026 M&A Outlook). Survey of November 2025: 276 companies with $25,000,000 to $1,000,000,000 in revenue and 124 private equity firms. Read November 12, 2026.

    Percentages are BridgeBook's arithmetic on the IRS dollar figures.

    Outside figures are other publishers', named and dated, and they don't feed our calculator. How we use outside figures

    Keep reading
    One important decision. Two good places to start.

    Start from your own numbers

    The valuation starts with food distribution picked. It asks a few short questions, your sales, profit and how customers order among them, then your name, email and cell phone, and shows a range, not one number.

    Your exit credit comes off our success fee at closing and grows with your yearly sales: $5,000 under $5,000,000 in sales ($2,500 for your valuation report, plus $2,500 for your advisor call or for starting your listing), up to $50,000 at $100,000,000 or more.

    I want to understand my value

    Start with your numbers.

    Get an initial range and a clearer starting point for your plans.

    Get my free valuationYour private report. No commitment to sell.
    I want to talk through my options

    Start with a dedicated advisor.

    Discuss your goals, timing and questions in a private conversation.

    Talk to a dedicated advisorFree. Booked calls start at $700,000 in yearly profit.