ABOUT

Provender International is proud of its long history of representative sales and service in the Specialty Food Industry.  We serve and support grocery, gift, and specialty food businesses throughout New York and New Jersey.  The vendor products we represent are of the finest quality and value, curated through years of experience.

The company's roots grew from the founders Joe and Niki Lombardi’s love of food and each other.  Mrs. Lombardi founded the specialty food company, English Provender Inc in 1988 as the importer and national distributor of ‘the specialty food company, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, and The Great British Eccentric brand of products.  These imported products were manufactured in England and supported her family's factory and community In England for many years.

The company’s initial growth and success can be attributed to their English Provender product “Heaven in A Jar” Lemon Curd, which in, 1990 received “Best Preserve” at the Fancy Food Show and continued to be heralded with many industry awards in the years to come.

1995 was a pivotal year for the company as their focus turned to representing additional brands and consulting on new product development.  The company changed its name to Provender International Corp to show our new breadth of scope and purpose. The end of the decade showed more change for the company as the importing division was sold, in order to focus on brand representation.

Since that time, Provender has been an active member of the Specialty Food Association, with representation in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and New Jersey.  We strive to be proactive and supportive partners to our vendors and retailers alike.  Lasting relationships have been foundational to our company’s success and longevity.  Our Sales Team is dedicated and hardworking, and several have been with the company since its inception.

Lauren Piver, daughter of founders Joe and Niki Lombardi, has been an integral part of the company for 25 years, culminating in her taking the helm as CEO in 2016.  Our company could not be in better hands!   Lauren’s thoughtful and professional leadership is a testament to a woman who started writing orders for the company when she was 10.  Lauren’s commitment to elevate Provender’s very personal service by integrating it with the latest technology will be her legacy. The company continues its success with over thirty years of positive impact on the people and business it serves.