History of Hoelting Food Service

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Hoelting Food Service began in 1925, when three brothers -- Henry, John, and August Hoelting -- bought out a produce wholesaler in Carlinville, Illinois. August died shortly afterward, but Henry and John continued to grow their business.

In the mid-1930s, Hoelting Brothers Produce began supplying Fischer Grocery Company, which sold produce to Piggly Wiggly's.

John's wife became ill, so in 1943, he gave his share of the business to Henry, the remaining Hoelting brother.

After returning home from the Navy in 1946, Joe (John's son) took over the business from his Uncle Henry.

In 1952, Joe bought a competitive company, Candioto Produce out of Taylorville, Illinois. A year later, Jerald (another of John's sons) took over the Hoelting Brothers location in Taylorville when he returned home from the Army.

In the mid-1970s, Jerald Hoelting bought out David H. Bender Produce in Decatur, Illinois, and changed the company's name to J. Hoelting Produce.

In 1979, J. Hoelting Produce moved the operation from Taylorville to Decatur. The family sold the Taylorville warehouse to a veteran employee named Ron Nation. Ron and his son Mike started their own company, Ron's Produce.

In the early 1980s, J. Hoelting Produce began diversifying the product mix to include dry, frozen, perishables, disposables, and janitorial items.

Jerald Hoelting retired in 1996 and sold the company to Bob Tipsword, an employee of 20 years. Bob, his wife Debbie, and their three children currently work in the business.

In 2005, J. Hoelting Produce became Hoelting Foodservice and two years later, Hoelting Food Service expanded the dry and frozen facility.

Today, Hoelting Food Service distributes approximately 3,000 items to customers in a 150-mile delivery radius. Bob, Debbie, and their three children -- Tiffany, Rory, and Derek -- all are active in operating the business on a day-to-day basis.

Jerald Hoelting frequently visits the operation.