During our 100 plus years of business, our commitment to customers and their needs has never wavered. That’s why we are positioned to continue growing as we put our customers – and what we can deliver to them – as our number one priority.

From the beginning, we have built our reputation on customer service and quality products. In the late 1880's, we began selling fresh produce to area grocery stores. This remained our primary focus until the mid-1950's, when we became the first in southwest Missouri to market retail frozen food.

During the next two decades, we began to shift our focus to the rapidly growing foodservice industry. By the mid-1980's, we solidly positioned ourselves as a leading foodservice distributor to Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

From that point, we have accelerated our growth to better serve the constantly changing demands of food service operators.

Today, Banta Foods is a full line foodservice distributor, marketing a complete line of food products and supplies, chemicals, paper goods, equipment, and smallwares. Our commitment to customer satisfaction has never strayed. We will continue to introduce new ideas and services to better serve you, our customer.




Some Milestones along the way

  • 1895 - Stewart Produce Company formally established by W.P. Stewart and W.H. Jezzard.
  • 1910 - The Company moved from 300 W. Water to 641 W. Wall Street.
  • 1920 - Five trucks delivering in town and rail cars delivering out of town.
  • 1922 - Stewart Produce Co. changed to W.H. Jezzard & Sons as Paul and Frank Jezzard joined the business and bought out Mr. Stewart.
  • 1940 - Multiple trucks began delivering out of town.
  • 1945 - Mr. Charles Banta married Margaret Jezzard daughter of Paul Jezzard and devoted his energy to learning the business.
  • 1951 - Mr. Charles Banta took over purchasing.
  • 1952 - W.H. Jezzard & Sons was the first in Southwest Missouri to offer a retail line of frozen food.
  • 1953 - W.H. Jezzard & Sons changed to Jezzard Fruit Co. as it became a closed corporation.
  • 1959 - Mr. Charles Banta advanced to the position of General Manager.
  • 1960 - During the late 1960's the company changed it's focus from retail to the food service industry.
  • 1962 - Jezzard Fruit Co. changed to Jezzard-Banta Fruit Co. after Mr. Charles Banta purchased the Company.
  • 1963 - Jezzard-Banta Fruit Co. changed it's name to Banta Fruit Company.
  • 1980 - In the 1980's Banta changed it's focus to full-line food service distribution, marketing a complete array of food products, supplies, chemicals, paper goods, equipment, and small wares.
  • 1982 - Banta Fruit Co. began computerization of operations.
  • 1984 - Banta Fruit Co. changed it's name to Banta Foods, Inc. to better reflect the company's move to full-line distribution.
  • 1984 - Banta Foods, Inc. moved to 1620 N. Packer Road.
  • 1988 - Banta Foods, Inc. joined Frosty Acres buying cooperative.
  • 1993 - Customer presentation facility completed.
  • 1994 - Banta Foods, Inc. joined UniPro the largest broadline and systems cooperative distribution group in the world. With more than $16 Billion in collective members sales and over 328 members in nearly every state of the nation, and in the Caribbean, Japan and Australia. UniPro membership purchases from more than 800 suppliers worldwide.
  • 1995 - Banta Foods, Inc. celebrated it's 100th anniversary.
  • 2002 - Banta Foods, Inc. was named to the ID Magazine annual Top 50 Broadline Distributors. In addition to being named the 48th in sales dollars, Banta Foods was named the 5th largest in sales increase percent. This was Banta Foods first appearance in the Top 50. Chuck Banta attributes the appearance in the Top 50 to hard work and good employees as well as new customers.
    Banta closed the year with $76 million in sales.