Sodexo’s acquisition of A.H. Management is set to close in the coming months | Photo credit: via Shutterstock

Sodexo has strengthened its presence in the North American convenience-focused foodservice market after agreeing to acquire Illinois-based vending and catering firm, A.H. Management. 
 

Paris-based Sodexo said the A.H. Management acquisition, set to close in the coming months, will broaden its multi-channel offerings, including micro markets, vending, office coffee, corporate catering and on-site food services. 

The agreement also accelerates Sodexo’s ‘food transformation strategy’ which caters to ‘fast-changing’ consumer demand for contactless purchases and hyper-convenient formats. 

The deal will scale the reach of Sodexo’s North American foodservice provider InReach to the Midwest region, and follows the acquisition of convenience services provider Frontline Food Services in January 2022 and food-tech start-up Foodee and commissary kitchen solution Nourish.Inc, both in 2021. 
 

“The acquisition of A.H. Management is the next step in enhancing Sodexo’s multimarket convenience solution, InReach, in North America. It will help us complement our current solutions and further address ever-evolving clients’ and consumers’ expectations to deliver on our ambition to become the leader in sustainable food and valued experiences,” said Sarosh Mistry, CEO, Sodexo North America. 

Founded in 1939 as a vending machine business in Arlington Heights, Illinois, A.H. Management now designs, manages and services corporate cafés and break rooms across the US states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Alongside dining and office vending services, A.H. Management offers office coffee services, including cold brew and nitro cold brew delivery for workplaces. 

“We are very excited about joining Sodexo's InReach. We share the same values, culture and objectives whether for our employees, our clients with attention to consumer benefit in order to offer a high value-added break experience. We look forward to playing a vital role in InReach's success,” said a joint statement from Mark and Craig Hesch, President & CEO of A.H. Management. 

Founded in Marseille in 1966 and operating across 53 countries, Sodexo achieved sales of €21.1bn ($23bn) in its 2022 financial year. 

In April 2023, the foodservice and facilities management firm reported strong half-year revenue growth for the six months ended 28 February 2023, with year-on-year sales increasing 18% to reach €12.1bn ($13.2bn) and group net profit rising 30% to €440m ($480m).