Our Story
Finding Food A Home Since 1990
For over three decades, our team of experts has been developing innovative food service solutions with our customers.
Nourishing Relationships
National Food Group has built lasting relationships with our customers by providing high-value, high-quality food products for a full range of meal patterns and budgets. You can rely on us for food industry expertise, buying prowess, and a dedication to providing top-notch customer service.
Our History
Like many companies, ours had a humble beginning in founder Bud Zecman’s modest basement. Bud had been working in the food industry as a broker, and he realized there was an opportunity to do business better and to be more customer-focused. In 1990, Bud made it his goal to make a company with the happiest and best-fed customers in the industry.
In 2003, Sean Zecman purchased the company and became president and CEO. Under his leadership and strategic vision, our company sprouted into one of the largest national distributors of Opportunity Buys® within the wholesale food service industry, and one of the leading processors of commodity fruit for the K12 foodservice market. The company also services corrections, college/university, entertainment, healthcare and senior feeding foodservice operations across the country.
In 2023, National Food Group named Jim Moore as its new president, assuming responsibility for all day-to-day operations of the company. Moore was the natural choice for successor, having previously led the teams as Senior Vice President. Sean Zecman transitioned to Executive Chairman, focusing on strategic initiatives and business development while continuing to support the company and Moore in his new role.
National Food Group has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately-owned companies in the United States, one of the 1% of companies to rank on the Inc. 5000 10 years in a row. Our company started with solid roots and continues to grow into a fun, forward-thinking, adaptable food service distributor thanks to the vision and efforts of Bud, Sean, and the entire National Food Group team.
From day one, our mission has been to provide our customers with creative food solutions that enrich relationships. This has led us to be the industry brand that people depend on. We never settle and always push forward to do better for our customers, partners and each other.
~Sean Zecman, Executive Chairman
Our Mission
To find creative solutions that enrich relationships.
Our Vision
To become THE brand in the industry through ingenuity and enthusiastic execution.
We form strong alliances by matching customer requests with vendor capabilities to source products that support a wide variety of needs. From traditional to trendy, we strive to find innovative ways to bring people and food together.
The real place for innovation is developing new ideas, formulations and products that meet or exceed our customers’ expectations. We bring food scientists, dietitians, chefs, and food-sourcing experts to the table to develop, test, and refine products that fulfill specialized customer requirements.
We collaborate with our customers to develop custom food lines that match nutritional trends, consumer preferences, government mandates, and tight budgets. Through our network of manufacturing partners, we can produce food items that can’t be found through other sources. Also, as a USDA nationally approved processor, we receive food commodities, such as apples and cherries, and convert them to single-serving products, such as applesauce and fruit cups for, K-12 students.
Our robust distribution network spans all 50 states. We offer flexible delivery options to accommodate your special needs. Give us your specific shipping requirements and our team of logistics experts will find a way to meet them.
- Superior USDA and AIB warehouse ratings
- 98% customer reorder rate
- 100% product guarantee
- Detroit Free Press Michigan Top Places to Work
- Financially independent and family owned
National Food Group is the food solution finder that advocates for your best interests by using our expertise to find great values, streamline the process, and provide great customer service.
Strong To The Core
What makes us unique among peers is the way we get results. It’s the spirit and substance we bring to the task at hand. Ultimately we aim to create a customer experience like no other. Our front-line team is empowered to answer your questions, bring solutions forward and simply get it right. We entrust our employees with the serious responsibility of delivering complete satisfaction. When genuine enthusiasm for your business and a flair for creative solutions come together, you can feel confident that success will follow.
Our Core Values
- Innovation - Creativity and expertise fuel the fire of our people.
- Integrity - Tell the truth and do what’s noble, always.
- Relevance - Ask why. Say “yes” when it puts customer needs first.
- Agility - Mental fitness takes focus. Stay in shape.
- Fun - It’s contagious. Pass it on.
Points Of Distinction
Programs To Suit Every Taste
National Food Group offers three core programs to make your food purchasing easy.
Our Family of Brands
At National Food Group, we’re continually collaborating with our partners and customers to source and develop innovative new items that meet your unique requirements. We deliver delicious ingredients and menu options that offer creative variety, save labor and reduce food waste for our customers.
Launched in 2016, Zee Zees® is a brand of better-for-you snacks made for kids of all ages while continuing to expand in the K12 foodservice. marketplace. With the 2019 introduction of Elated Plates® and Fare Promise®, we've broadened our reach, providing an even wider array of menu selections to meet the needs of food service kitchens everywhere.
Become Part of Our Story
Our team works hard, plays hard, and lives our core values everyday.
Interested in working with National Food Group?