Star Distribution Systems

The Brightest Name In Distribution

Star Distribution Systems, Inc. was established in 1892 as a food brokerage sales company (Bonacker Brothers, Inc.) in Tampa, Florida by W.A. Bonacker and F.C. Bowyer. The firm moved locations in 1912 to downtown Tampa where it remained for 51 years serving a 23-county area. The company brokered food items and grocery store specialties to wholesalers and to large grocery chains and quickly became the largest brokerage in the Southeastern United States. In 1925 two brothers, Ferdie V. Jimenez and Gus Jimenez, joined the company and worked their way up from local couriers to top sales executives of the company. The Jimenez brothers purchased the company from the Goodrich family in 1948 and within a few short years, the company hit record sales and grew to 34 employees. In April 1964, the company relocated to a custom built 41,000 square foot building at the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Industrial Park, located in North Tampa. This new facility was twice the size of the downtown Tampa location and allowed the company to greatly expand its non-perishable food business.