Fresho, a global order management platform for fresh food wholesalers, has acquired Nation Wilcox, an ERP software provider to UK food suppliers.
The deal gives the group a combined customer base of more than 400 food wholesalers and in excess of £2bn in annual gross merchandise value (GMV).
Founded in Birmingham in 1978 by Neil Nation, Nation Wilcox serves primary and secondary wholesalers, as well as cash & carry businesses, across the UK through its ERP platform, helping its customers with order management, stock control, logistics, accounting and, more recently, online ordering, AI and mobile apps.
Fresho has grown to support distributors across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland and the US since Huw Birrell and James Andronis founded the business in Australia in 2015. It launched in the UK in 2020 and now supports more than 250 customers in the market.
The acquisition – signed at Australia House in London, home of the Australian High Commission – is a significant part of Fresho’s broader plan to accelerate the development of its AI capabilities and drive continued product innovation across markets.
Nation Wilcox will continue to operate as a standalone entity under its existing brand, with no changes to customer contracts, support arrangements or day-to-day operations. As part of this acquisition, Andrew Nation, who has led the business since 2004, will join Fresho’s board as a significant shareholder and play a core role in shaping the company’s next phase of growth.
“Nation Wilcox has been at the heart of UK food wholesale for more than four decades and finding the right partner for the next chapter of the business was a carefully considered decision,” Andrew Nation said.
“Fresho’s ambitions are the right fit for Nation Wilcox, and together the companies will be able to grow beyond the UK and become the premier supplier of IT systems to the foodservice industry worldwide. For our customers, this means access to the combined expertise of both organisations, with the continuity of the team they already know and trust.”
Fresho UK general manager Jamie Foale added: “Acquiring this prestigious company establishes us as the leading technology platform for food service in the UK, and combining their decades of experience with our own will help us better serve the market. We look forward to working with Andrew to continue the success of Nation Wilcox and ensure that their customers feel as supported and confident in the continued investment in the software as ever.”
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