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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Purchase Boosts Product Line for Anthony International

By Jeff Weiss Contributing Reporter In an effort to further bolster its product line, Sylmar-based glass door manufacturer Anthony International, has acquired Madison, Ga.-based curved glass manufacturer SOVIS, NA. Already the world’s largest manufacturer of glass doors and display equipment for the commercial refrigeration industry, the purchase will add another 40 employees to Anthony’s already 800 employee-plus ranks. “This will add another arrow to our quiver,” Daniel Zeddy, Anthony’s chief financial officer, said. “It’s another product line to have so that when we go to our distribution channels and distributors, it broadens the product line out, especially in the rapidly growing refrigerated and prepared foods segment of the market. SOVIS is a wonderfully complimentary production to our existing offerings.” SOVIS will join Anthony’s already existing portfolio of brand names which includes Anthony, Ardco, DisplayRite and Pike. As the number of up-scale supermarkets has increased in recent years, so has the demand for curved glass to house deli goods, fresh seafood, fresh-baked breads and cakes, salad bars and prepared dishes for take-home meals, a factor which featured heavily in Anthony’s decision to purchase SOVIS. “We bought an excellent company leader in their field. They have a world class technology company with a very skilled work force for a very long time,” Zeddy said. “We’ve been in business for 49 years and have a long history and very well developed supply and distribution channel. We think that we can use our vast resources to really grow the business.” In addition to manufacturing curved glass, SOVIS also offers silkscreen designs, custom drilling and finished edges. Founded in 1958, Anthony has made its name as one of the world’s major manufacturers of commercial glass refrigerator and freezer doors, lighting systems and display equipment. Among some of Anthony’s more notable achievements include the world’s first reversible door, an Electronic Lighting System that revolutionized the industry’s lighting standards, the world’s first completely energy-free door, a reversible “Eliminator” door line, with an energy-efficient door & frame system, and the world’s first energy-free aluminum cooler and freezer door system In recent years, the company has been more acquisition-minded, acquiring Ardco and DisplayRite from Carrier Corp in 2002 and Pike Door Products in Elizabeth, NJ in 2005 and now SOVIS, after an eight-month negotiation period.

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