Champs Mushrooms, based in Aldergrove, is combining with a Pennsylvania mushroom firm that serves the U.S. and eastern Canada.

Champs, with its offices in Aldergrove, has 12 dedicated indoor farms that produce 35 million pounds annually. It has more than 600 employees at it farms, composting facility, and distribution headquarters.

The merger positions the company to be one of the largest mushroom producers and suppliers in North America.

鈥淲e are very excited to be partnering with the Quach Family and the entire Champ鈥檚 team. Champ鈥檚 and South Mill share similar values, with a demonstrated commitment to and care for their customers and employees,鈥� said South Mill鈥檚 co-CEO Michael Pia. 鈥淭ogether we will have production facilities on both North American coasts and a distribution platform to supply retail and food service channels nationwide.鈥�

The Quach family founded Champs in 1998 and grew it into one of the largest producers in Western Canada. It also supplies into the U.S. markets.

The Pia family started South Mill nearly a century ago. It now has four distribution centres, in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia and distributes fresh and processed mushrooms throughout the US and eastern Canada.

South Mill鈥檚 announcement of the 鈥渦nification鈥� noted that the companies will continue to operate under their own brands with the management teams remaining active in the day-to-day operations.