COLDWATER, Mich. — Alliance Foods Inc. announced that it is acquiring retail food brokerage Proactive Sales and Marketing Inc. (PSM), a Minneapolis-based firm serving customers in Chicago, Milwaukee and other markets in the upper Midwest.

“We are very excited to add a first-class company with a long tradition of excellence to Alliance’s broker business platform,” said Sal Stazzone, president and chief executive officer of Alliance Foods. “PSM’s long-standing presence and deep customer relationships are key factors of consideration when Alliance selects companies for acquisition. Together, our two companies have more than 200 years of presence and experience in the food broker business serving manufacturer vendors and retail customers.”

Alliance said that the acquisition is in alignment with the company’s strategic plan to expand its business. Alliance sells to retailers across the United States.

“This is a true win-win for both companies,” said Stephen Diebold, president and CEO of PSM. “We’re looking forward to bringing valuable new sales opportunities to our manufacturer vendors through Alliance’s strong retail relationships, as well as to offering Alliance’s broad product portfolio to our retail customers.”

Employee-owned Alliance Foods offers manufacturers access to retail customers across channels including retail and wholesale grocery, convenience stores, membership clubs, drug stores, home improvement outlets, sporting goods stores and others. In addition, Alliance offers integrated services for packaging, supply chain, brand development and go-to-market strategic planning.