A.J. Letizio Sales & Marketing, Inc. of Windham, NH announced today that the company has reached an agreement with Hughes Sales, Inc. of Columbia, Maryland, to acquire their business. The Hughes organization is known throughout the food industry as one of Mid-Atlantic’s most respected sales agencies. Founders Michael and Linda Hughes agreed to the deal that transfers ownership of the business of Hughes Sales, Inc. to A.J. Letizio effective June 1, 2025 and merges the two organizations into the largest and most comprehensive privately owned food sales agency in the Eastern United States. In the agreement, all 23 staff members of Hughes join A.J. Letizio, and will continue forward as part of the newly combined team.
A.J. Letizio has named Hughes Sales executives Geoffrey Mason to Category Director for Produce, Bill Sando to Category Directory for Meat, and Steven Mabeus to Regional Director of Retail Merchandising. Legacy Founder Michael Hughes will support A.J. Letizio’s Executive Team in Strategic Business Development throughout the Eastern United States. A.J. Letizio will be taking over the Hughes Sales headquarters in Columbia and has announced plans to construct a new, state-of the art A.J. Letizio Enterprise Center in Columbia to be the company’s new regional support and training center, serving its Retail and Foodservice Business in the marketplace.
Michael Hughes’ history in the food industry goes back to his youth, when the 6’4” tall teenager got his CDL (Commercial Drivers License) prior to his regular driver’s license like most other teenagers, so that he could do milk deliveries before school for his father’s business, Robert H. Hughes & Sons Dairy Products.
Years later in 1997, Michael and wife Linda Hughes, gave up their leadership positions at Key/Riley Food Brokers as VP of Perishables, and Director of Perishable Sales, respectively, to found Hughes Sales, Inc.
Over the last 28 years, Michael and Linda assembled a team of experts, delivering outstanding results for their customers and clients in Meat, Deli, Produce, and Seafood. A.J. Letizio and Hughes Sales share a common culture of values that have been carried on for generations. The Letizio family traces its five-generation origins in the food business to the family’s Italian market in Lawrence, MA in 1912. “Bringing together the A.J. Letizio and Hughes Team multiplies the combined team’s capabilities in the mid-Atlantic region and adds significant benefits to our clients and customers in the Eastern United States. This merger is a strategic step for both companies,” said Al Letizio, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of A.J. Letizio. “We are excited about offering benefits such as A.J. Letizio’s Analytics to Hughes customers to provide meaningful insights and headquarters, while greatly expanding our retail merchandising effort though the combination of our teams. It’s such a natural fit bringing our organizations together,” said Michael Hughes. “Our team members know each other and share the same philosophies. Our newly combined resources will deliver an unmatched level of personal service to our customers and clients.”
A.J. Letizio Sales & Marketing is a privately owned independent Super Regional Sales Agency in the Eastern United States that celebrates its 37th year in operation in 2025. The company provides service to all channels of the retail and foodservice industry throughout the Eastern United States. A.J. Letizio supports its business with its team of 162 of the industry’s finest professionals on staff, headquartered in Windham New Hampshire, and with regional support facilities in New York City; Rochester, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Glastonbury Connecticut; and its new Columbia Maryland facility.
