The Charter Group is pleased to announce the sale of J.A. Besteman Company, a Grand Rapids , Michigan based distributor of fresh produce, to Heeren Bros, Inc. After six decades of spirited competition, the family-owned businesses located next to each other on Hall Street NW , decided to combine forces. Since its founding in 1922, Besteman has grown to be one of the largest and well-known distributors of fresh fruit and vegetables in the state of Michigan. Each day, its 100,000 square foot climate-controlled warehouse provides temporary residence to a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, a full line of organic produce and a year-round floral progam. The blossoming of Heeren Bros, Inc is marked with similar success. Over 73 years has past since John Sr and Elmer Heeren began trucking strawberries, citrus, cabbage and a variety of other fruits and vegetables from the South to their produce stand on Market Street in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Since then, the company has grown from 2 employees to over 80, and has expanded from a simple produce stand to a robust 42,000 square foot, state-of-the art warehouse. Heeren Bros also owns and operates Ridgeking Apple Packing and Storage. The ownership of Heeren Bros views the acquisition of Besteman as a natural step in its long history of strategic and successful growth. Heeren Bros is optimistic about leveraging its increased buying power and the respected Besteman/Heeren name to strengthen and diversify the company's position in the retail and food service marketplace. In addition, the new ownership is excited about combining Besteman's organic produce and floral programs with Heeren's gourmet foods business to take advantage of those growing niches. The Charter Group served as exclusive M&A Advisor to the ownership of J.A. Besteman Company. John Kerschen, Managing Director of The Charter Group, served as lead project facilitator for this transaction.