Orion Food Systems, LLC, Sioux Falls, S.D., announced plans to merge with Land Mark Products, Inc., Milford, Iowa, to create a fully comprehensive foodservice company.

Orion manufactures and distributes food products and ingredients, including pre-made entrées and snacks under a variety of brands such as Hot Stuff Pizza, Gourmet Grub, Chix Chicken, CHOPZ, Paavo's Pizza and Papa Primo's Italian Kitchen, and provides foodservice solutions to the convenience and specialty retail channels worldwide. Orion also maintains a facility in Kimball, Tenn.  

Land Mark manufactures and distributes pizza and sandwich solutions under the Piccadilly Circus Pizza and Day'N Night Bites brands for the retail and foodservice industries.

"We are delighted to unite two long-standing businesses with such well-known brands in this strategic partnership," says Frank Orfanello, chairman of the board of Orion. "As a combined business, we will be able to offer a tailored solution to meet the needs of convenience store operators, from turn-key foodservice franchises that include equipment and post-sale consulting to custom-designed programs for distributors."

Jason Farrell, president and CEO of Land Mark, and Randy Johnson, executive vice president of finance and distribution of Land Mark, will be investors in the combined entity, and will maintain their leadership roles, alongside Land Mark founder Rod Simonson and One Rock Capital Partners, LLC, the New York-based private investment firm.

"Joining forces with Orion and expanding our geographic footprint will allow us to serve as a fully comprehensive one-stop-shop for convenience store operators of all sizes and locations,” says Farrell. “We are pleased to provide a broader offering of high-quality products and foodservice solutions to more customers across more markets."

"We are committed to building the leading foodservice company serving the convenience channel, and the combination of Orion and Land Mark is a significant step forward in that journey," adds R. Scott Spielvogel, managing partner for One Rock.