Garden State Farms, a Philadelphia-based unit of Procacci Holdings, Philadelphia, acquired A. Vassallo Inc., also based in Philadelphia.

From the beginning, the DiPascale family, owners of A.Vassallo, and the Procacci family maintained a friendly working partnership to serve the needs of the produce market. Combining the two family-run companies expands their customer pool and increases product quality and availability.

“It was a natural expansion to our Garden State Farms operation,” says J.M. Procacci, chief executive officer of Procacci Holdings. “As we continue to expand, our commitment to the market is integral to our growth.”

With the acquisition, Garden State Farms now has four units.

“Philadelphia is seeing more local crops coming in from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New York,” says Mike Maxwell, president of Procacci Brothers. “PWPM is the ideal location to distribute produce, and acquiring A.Vassallo makes Garden State more efficient for their customers.”