History

Access Partners history is built upon a tradition of entrepreneurship and partnership. Our timeline reflects where we came from and where we’re headed.

1969

Orfila Sales Company began operations in 1969 when Tony Orfila and Rod Colato started the manufacturer sales representative agency that is now known as Access Partners.

Based in Los Angeles County, the company initially sold neckties, pickles, and mayonnaise.

 

1970s

As time went on, Tony and Rod began to focus in on the non-foods segment of the foodservice industry and became the go-to sales group for the disposables market at the core of this vertical.

Tony Orfila became an iconic figure in the industry, and Orfila Sales earned an outstanding reputation for its high-quality, result-oriented market performance.

 

1980s-90s

Over the years, the original partnership developed into a small team, hiring additional sales associates and support personnel with an office in La Cañada, California.

 

1999

Tony Orfila retired, and John Tush, a senior partner at the time, took the reins of the company. The company name was changed to Access Group.

 

2000

Starting in 2000, Access Group began expanding into new regions and territories outside of Southern California.

 

2005

Access Group acquired Sales Plus, the first janitorial and sanitation (jan/san) oriented acquisition. This launched a whole new vertical business unit for the company outside of the core foodservice non-foods supplies business.

 

2009

Todd Haven became President of Access Group.

We refined our name from Access Group to Access Partners to better reflect our philosophical approach to business. Fundamentally, we consider our clients, customers, and employees unique partners in success.

Access Partners also created a new division called Access Advantage, a group of sales professionals dedicated to working with large multi-unit and chain end-user accounts.

 

2010

Access Partners formally purchased its first building in Northern California, creating a permanent home for the growing team in this market.

 

2011

Access Partners began to develop a presence in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain markets by building it from the ground up.

 

2013

The acquisition of foodservice-oriented Ranger Marketing rapidly expanded the operation in the Rocky Mountain states, leading to larger offices and an accomplished staff with rich relationships.

 

2014

Access Partners acquired another jan/san business, Miller Marketing, in Anaheim, California. Mark Presho was tapped to lead the Access Partners jan/san business vertical.

 

2015

Arizona-based Doane Marketing merged with Access Partners, providing the foundation for rapid expansion into the jan/san market of the southwest.

Access Partners acquired foodservice broker ITR in Phoenix, Arizona.

Access Partners’ venture into the Pacific Northwest was rapidly accelerated with the addition of new lines and personnel.

 

2016

Access Partners acquired BTR in 2016, significantly expanding the jan/san operation in Northern California.

 

2017

The Access Partners headquarters moved from Azusa, CA to Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Access Partners acquired a new building in Renton, Washington to serve as the base of operations for our Pacific Northwest region and our Equipment & Supplies division.

 

2018

Further acquisitions in the Rocky Mountain Region allowed the Denver office to expand with new lines and personnel.  This growth lead to the purchase of a new and larger office, meeting space and sample warehouse in the Denver metropolitan area.

Access Partners decided to launch an equipment and supplies (tabletop) division to service a complimentary product collection across all regions. This third vertical business is led by EVP Tom Bartell with the assistance of Tim Aid. Tim’s broker business, Northwest Hospitality Marketing, was acquired in the process.

 

2019

Scott Duke became President of Access Partners.

Access Partners celebrates its 50th Anniversary.

A new Access Partners product showroom opened in Las Vegas. This facility features display areas for our equipment and supplies lines, as well as meeting and training space.  It is conveniently located for easy access by the robust hospitality community in Las Vegas.   

Access Partners creates a Texas / Central region with the expansion into Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.

 

2020

A. Kozak & Company, an Arizona-based equipment and supplies firm, acquired.

In spite of the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Access Partners thrived and was able to add staff thanks to its product diversity and solutions-oriented approach to the market.

 

2021

Ongoing growth led to the acquisition of enhanced spaces for our Northern California and Southwest regional offices to house personnel, sample warehousing as well as equipment & supplies displays.

 

2022

Access Partners announces a merger with Peerless Marketing Group, a leading Jan San manufacturer’s rep firm based in Dallas. With this combination, Access Partners establishes a footprint throughout Texas and surrounding states, including Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and western Tennessee.