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Company History

Our Past Says Everything About Our Future
Cheney Brothers is family owned and operated, in its fourth generation. What truly drives many family businesses is the sense of connection and identity the owners and their family members feel with the business – it runs deep.

1925

Cheney Brothers is founded by Joe Cheney

  • The original location was 420 Claremore Drive in West Palm Beach, Florida

1928

1928 – 1939 Great Depression

  • Cheney Brothers survives the Hurricane of 1928 & The “Great Depression”

1962

Cheney Brothers becomes incorporated

  • Cheney Brothers becomes incorporated: Cheney Brothers, Inc.

1976

Byron Russell joins Cheney Brothers

  • Byron Russell, Mr. Cheney’s grandson, joins the Cheney Brothers team as a buyer and warehouse manager

1977

Sales hit $3 million

  • Sales hit $3 million

1981

Byron Russell becomes CEO

  • Byron Russell takes reign as CEO of Cheney Brothers Inc.
    The Cheney Brothers Fleet grows to 6 delivery trucks

1983

Cheney Brothers goes high-tech

Computerization is introduced
Cheney Brothers Implementation of NCR and begins running lockwood ERP system

1986

Cheney Brothers’ new location

  • Moves into a 75,000 sq. ft. distribution center in West Palm Beach
  • CBI launches Warewashing Division
  • Fleet grows to 20 delivery trucks
  • Sales hit $20 million

1987

Frozen & Refrigerated Products are added

  • Italian Division is introduced

1990

First annual Food Show

  • Cheney Brothers holds the first annual Food Show at the Palm Beach County Convention Center

1992

First 1-million-dollar day in sales

  • Acquires a paper company, the Steven’s Company and adds Disposable Division
  • Cheney Brothers adds IT Department

1993

Salesforce laptops

  • IT Department takes sales workforce from pay phones & pagers to laptops

1995

Export Division is added

  • Sales expanded into the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin American
  • The new division starts with 2-3 containers per week

1996

Cheney Brothers goes cyber

  • Cheney Brothers goes cyber, releasing http://www.cheneybrothers.com

1997

First distribution center opens in Riviera Beach

  • Moves to its current state-of-the-art facility at 1 Cheney Way, Riviera Beach
  • Sales hit $85 million
  • Workforce is 350 employees strong

1998

Cheney Brothers introduces Kitchen Design

  • CBI Kitchen Design, Equipment & Supplies Division – designing, installing, and furnishing professional restaurant kitchens
  • Transportation fleet acquires cell phones

1999

Product line grows to over 12,000 products

2000

First 2-million-dollar day in sales

2001

Cheney Brothers introduces Janitorial Division

  • Acquires Palm Beach Chemical & Floor Care Company

2002

Growth continues

  • Fleet grows to 200 delivery trucks

2006

Second distribution center opens in Ocala

  • Adding 525,000 sq. ft. of office/warehouse space (Cheney Brothers’ Disaster Recovery Center)
  • Produce Division expands, quadrupling produce sales in the first year
  • July 4th marks first $3 million day in sales
  • Fleet grows to 300 delivery trucks

2007

Opens Kitchen Design Center

  • CBI Kitchen Design Center opens in Riviera Beach, adding 70,000 sq. ft. of office space
  • The 3rd generation of the Cheney Family join the team with the addition of Shane, Kyle and Cheney Simmons

2008

Implementation of Cadec

  • Advanced logistics for transportation fleet

2010

Forming a new alliance

  • CBI partners with Bari Beef International (BBI), which operates a 74,000 sq. ft. USDA processing
    facility in Orlando (Orlando Food Service)
  • Sales force acquires smartphones & Amtel
  •  Duck Deli, a private label, is introduced

2011

Swisher Hygiene partnership

  • Partners with Swisher Hygiene for warewashing and laundry chemicals
  • Launches Hospitality and Lodging Division

2012

Annual sales hit $1 billion

  • Product line grows to over 25,000 products

2013

New additions

  • Coast to Coast Importing establishes direct seafood sources from around the world
  • Acento Latino, a private label, is introduced
  • CBI partners with Broward County based meat distributor Grand Western

2015

Third distribution center opens in Punta Gorda

  • The new 345,000 sq. ft. distribution center opens

2016

Establishing Base in North Carolina

  • The assets of Pate Dawson Company, a 131-year-old family-owned distribution company are purchased, thereby acquiring 3 distribution facilities located in Statesville, Goldsboro, and Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Specialty meat, seafood, and cheese processing company is acquired – Meat and Seafood Solutions LLC d/b/a Southern Foods – located in Greensboro, NC
  • With these acquisitions, CBI welcomes more than 300 new employees and extends its reach substantially north

2017

Fresh and frozen seafood are added

  • Crazy Fish International launches in the South Florida market to process and distribute fresh and frozen seafood

2018

More expansion in North Carolina

  • Ground breaking for an additional 165,000 sq. ft. expansion of the Statesville, NC distribution center, which will expand the building to over 250,000 sq. ft.
  • Yearly sales hit $2 billion
  • Workforce is 3,000 employees strong

2019

Growth continues

  • Construction begins on the meat, cheese, and fish processing plant for Southern Foods in Greensboro, NC

2020

Southern Foods facility upgrade

  • Opening of the new 90,000 sq. ft. processing facility in Greensboro, NC

2021

Looking to the future

  • A 50-acre site in Florence, South Carolina is acquired to build a new distribution center
  • 82,000 sq. ft. expansion of Punta Gorda distribution center is completed, making the facility over 427,000 sq. ft.
  • 72,000 sq. ft. expansion of Statesville distribution center is completed, making the facility over 337,000 sq. ft.
  • CBI acquires 55 acres in St. Lucie County, FL to build a new 350,000 sq. ft. distribution center
  • Simply Nuts, a Cheney Brothers affiliate, completes plans to construct a new processing facility in Punta Gorda, FL

2022

Breaking ground

  • Cheney Brothers breaks ground for a new distribution center in Port St. Lucie, FL.

2023

Breaking ground

  • Cheney Brothers breaks ground for a new distribution center in Florence, South Carolina
  • The construction of a new 375,000 sq. ft. distribution center in Florence, South Carolina is started.
  • Site acquired in Pompano Beach, FL to construct new Grand Western Beef and Crazy Fish processing facility.
  • The construction of a new 43,000 sq. ft. processing plant in St. Cloud, FL for Simply Nuts and Belgium Butter, Nut and Candy was commenced.
  • New 357,000 sq. ft. distribution center in Port St Lucie, FL is completed.
  • Regan Russell joins CBI as a 4th generation family member