Columbus Vegetable Oils has opened a packing and distribution facility in North Las Vegas, Nevada, marking the fourth-generation, woman-owned supplier's most significant West Coast infrastructure investment as it celebrates 90 years in business. The rail-served site is designed to ship millions of pounds of edible oils annually across the region, with an SKU range spanning conventional, non-GMO, and organic options — including soybean, canola, olive, safflower, avocado, and corn oils.
Who It Serves
The facility is positioned to supply three distinct customer channels: food manufacturers requiring bulk commodity oils, foodservice operators sourcing cooking and finishing oils for back-of-house operations, and retail and specialty markets. For foodservice operators managing prep-and-storage costs — particularly in Las Vegas's dense hospitality and gaming-resort segment — local distribution can translate directly into tighter lead times and reduced freight exposure. The company's catalog includes more than 300 in-stock oils plus shortenings, tallow, sauces, dressings, and dips, giving operators a consolidated source for high-volume consumables.
SQF Certification and Custom Capabilities
Columbus operates SQF-certified facilities, a food-safety credential that matters to large foodservice accounts and contract manufacturers running HACCP-managed programs. The Las Vegas operation adds to existing capabilities that include custom blending and private-label services — tools that resonate with ghost kitchen operators and commissary kitchens building proprietary recipes at scale. Brands distributed through the facility include Butcher Boy®, Mike's Brand®, Sunrise Shortening®, Nature's Secret®, Sorrento's Olive Oil®, and Soaper's Choice®.
President Paulette Gagliardo framed the expansion around service rather than volume: "We don't sell oil, we sell service," she said. "That service starts with our people and the relationships we've built with our customers and partners over the past 90 years. We're proud to bring that same commitment to Las Vegas — and the entire West Coast."
The rail connection at the new facility is a notable logistics differentiator, enabling bulk inbound commodity movements that can reduce per-unit freight costs compared to over-the-road-only supply chains. As Western foodservice markets contend with continued volatility in vegetable oil commodity pricing — partly driven by competing demand from the renewable diesel sector — a regionally stocked, rail-connected distributor can give operators more predictable pricing and supply continuity. Foodservice buyers tracking energy-and-sustainability pressures on cooking-oil supply chains will find the added regional inventory depth particularly relevant.
Columbus Vegetable Oils is headquartered in the Chicago area and has served the food industry since 1936. The Las Vegas opening extends a decades-long distribution footprint into a market where hospitality-driven foodservice volume is among the highest per capita in the United States.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
