Advance Food Co. has reached an agreement to acquire the operating assets of an Iowa frozen-food manufacturer.

No purchase price was announced for the sale of Whitaker Foods, of Evansdale, Iowa, to Advance.

“This acquisition is an important step in our company’s desire to bring the very best in value-added products to our customers,” Mark Allen, Advance president, said in a press release announcing the acquisition. “The Whitaker Foods product lines are very complimentary to our existing products, creating a synergy that will help Advance Food Co. reach our goal of becoming the unconditional leader in our product categories.”

Whitaker, founded in 1954, supplies ready-to-cook breaded pork, beef and chicken items to such retail warehouses as Sam’s Club, Hy-Vee Food Stores, Price Choppers, Econo Foods, Fareway and Fleming, according to the Whitaker Foods Web site.

The Waterloo Cedar Falls (Iowa) Courier reported the sale online, saying Thursday was the last day of production at the plant in Waterloo, which had been in operation since 1972 and employed nearly 50 people.

It is not known if the acquisition will result in any new jobs for Advance in Enid, said Peter Dillingham, Advance senior vice president. Advance did not buy the Iowa facility, he said, but production is moving here. Company officials don’t know yet if more employees will be added or if the work will be absorbed by current employees.

He also said some of the workers in Iowa will interview with Advance, but it’s not certain if any will come to work for Advance.

“We have been honored over the past 55 years to provide the highest quality products to our valued customers,” said Shari Bright, Whitaker CEO. “Although exiting the business was a difficult personal decision for us, it is comforting to know the products developed by my family over the years will carry on with Advance Food Co.”

Whitaker was founded by Bright’s parents Bill and Darlis Whitaker. Bright and her husband, Ron, bought the company in 1997, and increased distribution from seven states to 13 and the work force from 17 to 50 employees.

Advance was founded in 1973 by Paul Allen and Dave McLaughlin in Enid. The company is a leading national manufacturer of value-added beef, pork, veal, lamb, chicken and turkey products for the food service industry.

The Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce Web site lists Advance as the city’s largest employer with 1,850 employees. The chamber splits employment at Vance Air Force Base between the base (1,516 employees) and CSC, the base’s major contractor with 1,000 employees.