Castle Harlan Acquires Gold Star Foods with West Coast Expansion Goals

SRZ advised private equity firm Castle Harlan Inc. on the acquisition of Gold Star Foods Inc., a leading nutritional food distributor to K-12 schools in California, Arizona and Nevada, by Castle Harlan Partners V. The seller is Chicago-based private equity firm Prospect Partners. Ontario, Calif.-based Gold Star serves 380 school districts with more than 3,500 schools, providing students with meals via federal and state programs for breakfasts and lunches that include program-approved healthy ingredients. Castle Harlan’s co-president noted that Gold Star has the scale to acquire smaller competitors in a fragmented market and the ability to expand into new territories in Northern California and other western states.

The SRZ team representing Castle Harlan Inc. included environmental partner Howard B. Epstein; tax partner Kurt F. Rosell; and former Schulte lawyers Kirby Chin, Jae Y. Kim and Evelyn Liristis.