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Source. Import. Distribute.
If it’s Pan-Asian food, we do it.From sourcing, to import, and distribution,
Rhee Bros answers your Asian food needs.
We bring our customers best-in-class distribution services through innovative products, sourcing and logistics solutions in Pan-Asian Foods.
Our Profile Here
About Us
OUR LEGACY
40 YEARS OF GREAT ASIAN FLAVORS
In 1968, what began with some packs of dried squid inspired the unlikely launch of an import and distribution company that would span two generations of mouth-watering success. Today, our family business is based outside of Baltimore, Maryland and serves customers from Chicago to Texas and beyond. In addition to squid, we are proud to import over 4,000 Asian foods – ranging from the rare to the everyday – across dry, refrigerated, frozen, and non-food categories. For over 40 years, we’ve sourced authentic ingredients from every corner of Asia. We are delighted to offer all of our customers the single, most extensive selection of authentic product in the market – and also, the most delicious. We like to think that we add spice to others’ lives.
History
In 1968, Syng Man (Steve) Rhee was a political science student in Washington DC with the hopes of returning to Korea to pursue politics. Despite multiple jobs, he was unable to support his family and eventually had to ask his mom in Korea for help. But instead of cash she sent dried squid, along with a note to sell it. After the initial shock wore off, Steve did as his mom suggested and to his surprise, the squid sold out immediately. Needless to say, he asked his mother for another shipment and the concept of Rhee Brothers was set in motion. In 1976 Steve Rhee and his three brothers launched in suburban Maryland to serve a growing Asian immigrant population Forty years later, Mom’s shipment of dried squid is still paying off.
Who we are
Mission
To provide our customers best-in-class distribution services through innovative products, sourcing, and logistics solutions in Pan-Asian Food.
Vision
To be a leader in connecting industries and customers to Pan- Asian food.
Values
- Accountability
- Community
- Customers
- Innovation
- Integrity
- Teamwork
CORE STRENGTHS
WHY RHEE BROS
- Diverse Offerings
- We are your one-stop provider for over 4,000 Pan-Asian foods spanning Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Filipino, and the breadth and depth of our product line is unmatched.
We are continually growing our product line to include a perfect balance of top-selling foodservice and retail items from across Asia.
- Sourcing Network
- Over 40 years of forging relationships with hundreds of manufacturers throughout Asia – From Korea to Thailand our networks continues to grow.
To assure our efficient supply chain, we partner with local buying offices and consolidators in Asia who act as “local” boots on the ground.
As the world changes, food safety is more of a priority for us than ever, so we only partner with HACCP-certified vendors and continually optimize our supply chain through third-party audits and FSMA compliance.
- Our people
- At Rhee Bros, our employees are the heart and soul of what we do. For two-generations, we’ve become more diverse with talented professionals from all walks of life and backgrounds and we aim to continue that tradition for years to come.
- Product Expertise
- From Vietnamese to Korean, we are the single source of Pan- Asian products in the U.S. 40 years and counting. Across the globe, no one knows Pan-Asian foods better.
- Operations
- The physical heart of Rhee Brothers is our main distribution center in Hanover, MD. Our warehouse and transportation teams handle over 20,000 cases of dry, refrigerated and frozen products everyday. Food quality is paramount to our customers and we pride ourselves on the safety and cleanliness of our 230,000 square-foot warehouse. Rhee Bros is a third party food safety audited facility.
What we do
As the leader in Pan Asian food, we are one of the largest Asian companies in the U.S. Today our family business is based outside of Baltimore, MD, serving over 800 customers from Chicago to Texas and beyond – including independent Asian retailers to U.S. food distributors.
- Sales Territory
- Flexible distribution
- Every customer’s needs are different, so we offer a variety of distribution models:
- Direct import
- Full truckload with limited SKUs
- Mixed loads of full pallet product
- Mixed loads of case pick and full pallet product
- Custom products / Private label
- Our vast sourcing network and ability to leverage volume allows us to offer private labels and custom products at competitive prices. And due to the incredible number of containers we bring in every month, we can import from Asia faster than the competitors.
Who we serve
Our passion to exceed our customer’s expectations is what drives us and our success.
We began humbly, by serving the needs of the growing Asian immigrant community who are still our proud customers. Today we service over 800 customers, including major US retail chains, club stores, restaurant chains, and foodservice companies.
- Asian Retail
- US-based independent Asian retail establishments were the beginnings of our business and remain our foundation. Found in major metropolitan areas like New York, Atlanta and Chicago, as well as smaller cities like Nashville and Orlando, these stores range from over 140,000 – to less than 5,000 square feet.
- Restaurant Chains Distribution
- US Foodservice Distribution
- US Retail
- US Retail Distribution
