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In 1858, a food distribution firm was founded in Worcester, Massachusetts by Elliott T. Smith. Mr. Smith was a dealer in groceries, flour, provisions, cement, lime, plaster, hair, etc.  He was rewarded with customer loyalty and steady expansion.  Over the years the company outgrew five facilities and became one of the most successful wholesale grocery distributors in New England.

In 1962, the E.T. Smith Company merged with the Foodservice Division of the E.C. Hall Company, which was started in 1895 by Everett C. Hall in Brockton, Massachusetts.  Initial distribution for the customers of the Hall Division of the E.T. Smith Company came from E.T. Smith’s warehouse on Millbrook Street in Worcester, MA.  The early part of 1963, the Hall division leased the R.F. Owens 19,000 square foot building in Raynham, MA, in order to service their institutional customers.

On August 1, 1963, Paul F. Kalat became the sole owner of the Hall Division of E.T. Smith Co. and changed its name to Hallsmith Company, Incorporated.  The first year’s sales were $1.5 million.  Also two 5,000 square foot additions, mainly frozen, were added to the Raynham facility.  By 1971, business had reached $7.5 million and sales territories were expanding.

In April 1972, Hallsmith Company merged with the nation’s largest foodservice and distribution company, SYSCO Corporation, which is based in Houston, Texas.  It was SYSCO’S 20th company.  That same year the previous E.C. Hall warehouse of 108,000 square feet was leased to Hallsmith with an option to purchase, and occupied by Hallsmith.  By 1978, Hallsmith was doing business in all six New England states and needed more capacity.  In June of 1979, Hallsmith purchased the Fernandes facility, which had two modern buildings of 264,000 square feet on 25 acres of land.  These buildings contained warehouse, freezers, refrigerated space, and office areas.  A separate maintenance building was used to handle the ever-growing delivery fleet.  Business had reached sales of $52 million.

In June of 1995, a new company named SYSCO Food Services of Connecticut was “folded out” of the Norton facility with first year volume in excess of $160 million.  At this time, Hallsmith SYSCO sales exceeded $650 million with over 18,000 items.

On January 1, 1997, Edward H. Hasty retired as Chairman and CEO with William Holden taking over as President and CEO.  Five years later on July 1, 2002, Sysco Corporation announced that William Holden had been promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations for the Northeast Region.  Thaire Bryant was named the new and fourth President and CEO of Hallsmith Sysco.  Bill and Thaire assumed their new responsibilities on January 1, 2003.

On March 3, 2006, Bill Holden retired his position and Jim Danahy, former President & CEO of Sysco Food Services of Connecticut, was promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations for the Northeast Region. 

After 45 years and as of January 2009, Hallsmith Sysco Food Services officially changed its name to
Sysco Boston, LLC and our logo, the cube, was retired.  Our new logo is: 

In September of 2009 Fred Casinelli was named the fifth President and COO of Sysco Boston. On December 1, 2009 Thaire Bryant retired as Chairman.  

In April 2013 Fred Casinelli retired as President and CEO with Charles (Chuck) Fraser assuming the position of President.

Sysco Corporation is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. For fiscal year 2009, the company generated $36.8 billion in sales.  For more information about Sysco Boston LLC and SYSCO Corporation, please visit our websites:  www.syscobostonllc.com and www.sysco.com