Item 1. Business
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
Overview
HF Foods Group Inc., headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, operating through our subsidiaries (collectively “HF Foods” or the “Company”) is a leading marketer and distributor of fresh produce, frozen and dry food, and non-food products to Asian restaurants, as well as other foodservice customers, throughout the United States. HF Foods was formed through a merger between two complementary market leaders, HF Foods and B&R Global Holdings, Inc. (“B&R Global”), on November 4, 2019.
With sixteen distribution centers and three cross-docks and a fleet of over 400 vehicles, our distribution network now spans 46 states covering approximately 95% of the contiguous United States. Capitalizing on our deep understanding of Asian cultures, strong relationships with growers and suppliers of food products primarily in North America, South America and Asia, with over 1,000 employees, and supported by two outsourced call centers in China, we have become a trusted partner serving approximately 15,000 customer locations throughout the United States.
We are committed to providing excellent customer service by delivering a distinctive product portfolio built from an indelible partnership with both foreign and domestic suppliers. These relationships ensure that we deliver an outstanding array of products at competitive prices. Our relationships with suppliers and knowledge of the market are the cornerstones of our negotiating power with suppliers and enable us to better manage potential supply chain disruptions and stockouts, gain price concessions and increase delivery schedules.
Corporate History
HF Foods was originally incorporated in the State of Delaware on May 19, 2016 as a special purpose acquisition company under the name Atlantic Acquisition Corp. (“Atlantic”), in order to acquire, through a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with, one or more businesses or entities.
On August 22, 2018, Atlantic consummated a reverse acquisition transaction resulting in the shareholders of HF Group Holding Corporation (“HF Holding”) becoming the majority shareholders of Atlantic, and changed its name to HF Foods Group Inc. On November 4, 2019, we consummated a merger transaction, resulting in B&R Global becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of HF Foods.
On January 17, 2020, we acquired 100% equity membership interest in nine subsidiaries under B&R Group Realty Holding, LLC (“BRGR”), which owned warehouse facilities that were being leased to B&R Global for its operations in California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Washington, and Montana.
On December 30, 2021, HF Foods acquired substantially all of the assets of leading seafood suppliers Great Wall Seafood Supply, Inc., a Texas corporation, Great Wall Restaurant Supplier, Inc., an Ohio corporation, and First Mart Inc., an Illinois corporation (collectively the “Great Wall Group”).
On April 29, 2022, HF Foods acquired substantially all of the assets of Sealand Food, Inc., one of the largest frozen seafood suppliers servicing customers along the eastern seaboard, from Massachusetts to Florida, as well as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Our Business and Products
Our business features sixteen distribution centers and three cross-docks with a total of approximately 1.3 million square feet of warehouse space and a fleet of over 400 vehicles to provide a wide variety of products with a strong focus on specialty food
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ingredients essential for Asian cuisine. Supported by an extensive supplier network, we aim to provide a one-stop service with on-time delivery and high fulfillment rates, at competitive pricing.
We offer over 2,000 different products to our customers, which include virtually all items needed to operate their restaurant business. Product offerings range from meat and poultry, perishable fresh produce, frozen seafood, general commodities and takeout food packaging materials to meet our customers’ demands. The majority of our procurement currently consists of goods purchased domestically, such as meat, poultry, produce and certain key commodities. We also purchase a significant amount of goods through the import channel, such as frozen seafood, Asian Specialty, packaging and other commodities.
The following table sets forth our broad range of products and sales percentage by category for the year ended December 31, 2024:
Category Description Percentage
Seafood Lobster, shrimp, crab, scallops and fish, such as tuna and Alaskan salmon 33%
Asian Specialty Products with an Asian flair or flavor, including specialty noodles, rice, dry goods, such as dried mushrooms or dried beans, specialty sauces/seasonings, spring rolls, and canned products, such as preserved vegetables, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts
25%
Meat and Poultry Beef, pork, chicken and duck 21%
Fresh Produce Fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, such as celery, napa cabbage and winter melon which are widely used in Asian cuisines 11%
Packaging and Other Take-out accessories for customers, from bamboo chopsticks to takeout containers, plastic cups and sushi combo boxes 5%
Commodity General commodities including oil, flour, salt and sugar 5%
Our extensive supplier network and long-standing relationships with key suppliers strengthen our negotiating power, allowing us to procure large quantities efficiently through our centralized inventory system. This strategic approach enhances inventory turnover, optimizes accounts payable, and lowers operating costs. This gives customers the ability to shift away from fragmented direct-stores and turn to us as their full-service, one-stop solution for the majority of their purchasing needs.
This initiative is made possible from order placement to delivery due to our warehouse operations, optimized fleet management, material handling equipment and techniques, and efficient administrative and operating staff. This is further complemented by our two outsourced sales call centers located in China which take customers’ inbound calls during non-office hours in the U.S. for order taking, customer relationship management and after-sales service, offering customers a warm and friendly human interaction channel who speak and understand their language and needs.
We have an extensive reach to our customers through localized, high frequency deliveries which allows them to reduce their inventory through higher inventory turnover and just-in-time inventory, and to reduce waste, especially in fresh products. Our temperature-controlled trucks deliver both short and medium distance routes daily to ensure on-time delivery and to achieve high fill rates to our customers.
Our Strategy
We are differentiated from mainstream food distribution companies, such as Sysco Corporation, US Foods Holding Corp. and Performance Food Group Company, through our strong understanding of Asian culture and cooking essentials, distinctive product portfolio, and resourceful supply chains. We believe our wide range of Asian-centric product offerings is unmatched, as many of the items we offer are unique and specific to the Asian restaurant industry.
We believe that our scale and deep knowledge of our customers’ needs provide a competitive advantage over our direct competitors and have contributed greatly to our success, including the following:
• Wide array of Asian specialty products: These are not commonly provided by large distributors serving the mainstream market.
• Deep understanding of Asian culture: As our customers are primarily Asian restaurants, most of our employees can speak the primary language of our customers. We believe this is a key business strength and competitive advantage, as many of the restaurants’ owners/chefs are more comfortable speaking in their primary language.
• Lower sales and administrative expenses: We outsource our telephone-based sales and customer service to two call centers located in China to better serve our customers around the clock.
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• Purchasing power: We capitalize on economies of scale and have strong relationships with both our domestic and foreign suppliers.
• Warehouse location: We have strategically located distribution centers and cross-docks, supported by our fleet of delivery vehicles with most routes limited to three to five hours driving time, ensuring on-time delivery and order fill-rate.
• Technology: With our customized inventory management system, we are able to manage our customer relationships and inventory efficiently and reduce operating expenses.
• Customer-specific marketing: Our employees’ bilingual capabilities provide a competitive advantage against other major providers in the industry.
We aim to further expand into new key markets, as well as to strategically consolidate our market leadership position in existing markets, primarily through acquisitions. We will also explore potential vertical expansion in our acquisition strategy, both upstream and downstream of the foodservice value chain, including providing value-added items such as semi-prepared food products to help our customers upgrade their service, as well as exploring adjacent markets. We continue to invest in technological advancements to develop state-of-the-art management information and operating systems, to further improve our operational efficiency, accuracy and customer satisfaction, and to cement our foothold as a leading foodservice distributor to Asian restaurants in the U.S.
Features of Asian Restaurants
Set forth below are the principal characteristics of the Asian restaurants we serve.
Primarily Serving Mainstream Americans . There are tens of thousands of Asian restaurants spread throughout the U.S., primarily serving American customers. Although the dishes they serve are more simply and quickly prepared as compared to traditional full-service Asian restaurant cuisine, they still require specialized and distinctive Asian specialty ingredients used in traditional Asian cooking styles.
Operated by Individual Families . Most restaurants serviced by HF Foods are generally family-owned with very few workers, who are often immigrants or first generation Americans. These small restaurant owners, especially the founders, appreciate value-added services from suppliers to help them improve their operational efficiency. The owners and workers in these Asian restaurants usually prefer to speak their primary language. We believe that understanding their culture and language is paramount to facilitating efficient communications and building trust with customers.
Unique Cooking Style and Ingredients for Asian Cuisines . Asian cuisine requires unique cooking techniques such as steaming and stir-frying in a wok, and requires specialty ingredients and vegetables such as bitter melons, Asian yams, vine spinach, napa cabbage and winter melon. It also requires special seasonings and spices, including peanut oil, cooking wine, vinegar, dark soy source, black bean sauce, pepper oil and chili oil. Most of the unique ingredients for Asian cuisine are staple supplies of HF Foods that are not widely available from mainstream U.S. suppliers.
Current Industry Landscape and Opportunities
Growing Demand in Asian Cuisines . The demand for Asian cuisines continues to grow in the U.S. In addition, according to the Pew Research Center, the Asian population in the U.S. is the fastest growing population group in the country. We believe that these powerful trends will continue and result in expanded opportunities for Asian restaurants. As a leading foodservice distributor to Asian restaurants in the U.S., these trends represent a significant growth opportunity for HF Foods.
Cultural Barriers to Entry . Understanding Asian cooking culture is important to running an Asian restaurant, and, therefore, most Asian restaurants are operated by Asian Americans. We believe that it is very difficult for mainstream food distributors to serve these restaurants due to various cultural and language barriers.
Highly Fragmented Market . The Asian foodservice market is currently highly fragmented with many small and unsophisticated direct store distributors, such as small-scale wholesaler redistributors, specialty import brokers, farmers markets, and local produce retailers, operating without significant financial support or a sophisticated logistics infrastructure. We are a leading Asian food distributor in the U.S. with a well-developed logistics infrastructure, strong financial means, and experienced management team that provides the marketplace with an avenue for consolidated purchasing, high fill rate, and efficient delivery frequency at a competitive price. The fragmented nature of the Asian foodservice market creates acquisition opportunities for us to continue to expand our geographic footprint and customer base.
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Competitive Advantages over New Entrants . Each distribution center requires a large amount of invested capital to support the full temperature-controlled logistics and warehouse operations to help customers grow their sales and profit. Consolidated purchasing allows us to pass on cost savings to our customers and provide competitive pricing. We believe our continued investment in technology will lead to long-term expense reduction and further administrative efficiency. These competitive advantages result in economies of scale which smaller and fragmented suppliers cannot match.
Demand for Value-Added Services . Our customers are primarily Asian restaurants, and other foodservice customers. These customers are price and quality sensitive with a high demand for great service and mutual trust. Our employees speak their language, understand their culture and build a bond with our customers. Our 24-hour after sale service call center, located domestically and in China, allows us to serve as a supportive and dependable business partner. Through vendor partnerships, we help our large customers source distinct products from their choice of vendors, either domestically or internationally. These are the value added services that we are able to provide to our customers in our one-stop shopping offering.
Continued Consumer Spending on Food Away From Home . As COVID-19 restrictions eased in 2021 and into 2022, both full service and fast food/take out restaurants have rebounded, and we believe the long-term trend of increasing food away from home market consumption has resumed and continues to be a key driver of demand for Asian restaurants.
Customer Service
We employ a two-pronged approach for a complete and cohesive support to both existing and prospective customers; namely, the two outsourced call centers located in Fuzhou, China and the domestic sales team in the U.S. Utilizing these outsourced call centers in China, customers embrace and appreciate our personal customer service conducted in their primary language.
Full sales support from the beginning of a sales order to post-sales service is offered through these call centers. These services are complemented by our domestic sales teams who make regular on-site visits to customers’ restaurants. With cultural understanding coupled with a distinct and diverse cultural bonding, the entire sales team has been successful in forging better customer rapport and retention and is better able to understand customers’ needs and operations as compared to the mainstream foodservice distributors attempting to serve this channel. Utilizing our customized information system to share valuable and pertinent information with our customers is important to help them grow their business. This information includes, but is not limited to, purchasing history, order tracking, item availability, items on promotion, and best-selling or trending items.
We formulate strategies and implement action plans to ensure cohesive sales and marketing efforts to our existing and prospective customers. The domestic sales team works closely with the sales staff in China to ensure our strategies are implemented effectively and our action plans are carried out swiftly. Distribution centers are empowered to cater to local and regional customers’ needs by customizing their specific product portfolio. With respect to customer care and satisfaction, we offer a refund policy without penalty, which many of our small competitors in the market segment and the direct store distributors are unable to provide. Our 100% satisfaction guarantee permits our customers to reject part of the order or the entire order within twenty-four hours of receipt without any penalty. We believe that this refund policy further cements the trust and loyalty of our customers toward our brand and company.
Suppliers
We consolidate procurement on bulk and frequently sold items. Our distribution centers send their inventory procurement requests to buyers who are responsible for consolidation and fulfillment in the most cost-effective way. The consolidated procurement process allows HF Foods to establish a meaningful vendor relationship under one brand.
We maintain a large supplier network through a vendor pool with a carefully selected group of suppliers to ensure product quality, availability and competitive pricing. To minimize costs, the procurement team directly manages our major vendors for large and frequent purchases and engages brokers for our smaller suppliers of specialty goods. Utilizing brokers allows us to maintain lower costs due to the brokers’ volume.
The key procurement team members closely monitor the supply market for seasonal products, such as vegetables, and makes procurement adjustments according to market conditions. In addition, they use a dual-sourcing method for their suppliers and can negotiate lower prices for comparable products.
Each distribution center reviews the inventory level in the information system daily and submits purchase requests as needed to the procurement team at headquarters and regional offices. The procurement teams at headquarters and our regional offices can alter or adjust purchasing decisions based on an analysis of the inventory data in the system. Upon receipt of ordered products, the delivery schedule is determined based on the needs of each location. The lead-time for products is dependent on the product
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category and need. For perishable goods, products are usually delivered by suppliers within seventy-two hours of placing the order. Products that are ordered through import brokers have lead times of up to seven days.
None of our suppliers accounted for more than 10% of our aggregate purchases during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Trademarks
Except for the trademarks for HF black and white/color logos, Rong, Rong GREEN LEAF, Great Wall logos, <333>, SEA333, and SEA888, we do not own or have the right to use any patent, trademark, trade name, license, franchise or concession, the loss of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Human Capital
One of our primary strategic priorities is to continue to enhance the strength of our workforce by retaining, developing, attracting, and recruiting highly qualified and top-performing talent. This effort includes establishing an optimized organizational structure and prioritizing the development of our employees’ capabilities through targeted training and professional development initiatives.
We attribute a significant portion of our success to the dedication and loyalty of our workforce. Notably, all general managers and distribution-level management personnel have been with the company since its inception. Their comprehensive understanding of our business operations, coupled with the strong relationships they maintain with frontline employees, has contributed to our ability to operate as a union-free organization.
As of December 31, 2024, we had 1,015 full-time employees, 26 part-time employees and 33 temporary employees through staffing agencies. We offer attractive compensation and benefit packages, and we believe our relationship with our employees is satisfactory.
Recruiting, Training and Development
Our ability to continue to retain, attract, and recruit top talent at all levels is key to our future success. In 2024, we implemented a Learning Management System (LMS) to consolidate employee training in the areas of safety, security, and compliance. We continue to transform our operations through new system and process improvements, training and development.
Inclusion
HF Foods was founded by Asian Americans, and throughout our history, we have continued to maintain inclusion as one of our top priorities by providing opportunities to all employees regardless of background. Four out of five members of our Board of Directors are Asian and three out of five are women. At the corporate level, over 50% of our director and above positions are held by women.
Recent Developments
CEO Transition
On October 24, 2024, the Board of Directors of the Company terminated Xiao Mou (Peter) Zhang as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, without cause, effective immediately. In connection with Mr. Zhang’s departure, the Company entered into a Severance Agreement and General Release (the “Severance Agreement”) with Mr. Zhang on November 21, 2024. Pursuant to the Severance Agreement, which includes a general release of claims by Mr. Zhang against the Company, Mr. Zhang will be entitled to receive standard severance benefits provided to a Chief Executive Officer under the Company’s Amended and Restated Severance Plan. Mr. Zhang continues to serve as a Director on the Board of Directors.
On October 24, 2024, Xi (Felix) Lin was appointed to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, and continued to serve as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer and President. On December 17, 2024, the Board of Directors of HF Foods appointed Felix Lin to serve as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and President, effective January 1, 2025.
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Credit Facility Amended
On February 12, 2025, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively with the Company, the “Borrowers”) entered into that certain Joinder and Amendment No. 4 to Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Amendment”) with the lenders party thereto (the “Lenders”) and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., a national banking association, as administrative agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”). The Amendment amends the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2022, by and among the Borrowers, the other loan parties thereto, the Lenders party thereto and the Administrative Agent (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified, the “Credit Agreement”).
The Amendment amends certain terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement by, among other things, (i) increasing the Aggregate Revolving Commitment (as defined in the Credit Agreement) from $100,000,000 to $125,000,000, (ii) joining three new subsidiaries of the Company to the Credit Agreement, each as a “Borrower” thereunder, (iii) joining Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. to the Credit Agreement as a “Lender” thereunder, (iv) amending certain affirmative covenants commensurate with the increase in the Aggregate Revolving Commitment, and (v) amending certain restrictions regarding incurring obligations under real property leases and equipment financings in the ordinary course of business.
Government Regulation
Legal compliance is important to our operations. We are required to comply, and it is our policy to comply, with all applicable laws in the numerous jurisdictions in which we do business.
As a marketer and distributor of food products in the U.S., we are subject to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”). The FDA regulates food safety and quality through various statutory and regulatory mandates, including manufacturing and holding requirements for foods through good manufacturing practice regulations, hazard analysis and critical control point requirements for certain foods, and the food and color additive approval process. The agency also specifies the standards of identity for certain foods, prescribes the format and content of information required to appear on food product labels, regulates food contact packaging and materials, and maintains a Reportable Food Registry for the industry to report when there is a reasonable probability that an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences. For certain product lines, we are also subject to the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, the Packers and Stockyard Act and regulations promulgated by the USDA to interpret and implement these statutory provisions. The USDA imposes standards for product safety, quality and sanitation through the federal meat and poultry inspection program. The USDA reviews and approves the labeling of these products and also establishes standards for the grading and commercial acceptance of produce shipments from our suppliers. We are also subject to the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, which imposes certain registration and record keeping requirements on facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption.
The recently published and pending rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act (“FSMA”) will significantly expand food safety requirements, including those of HF Foods. Among other things, FDA regulations implementing the FSMA require us to establish and maintain comprehensive, prevention-based controls across the food supply chain that are both verified and validated. The FSMA also imposes new requirements for food products imported into the U.S. and provides the FDA with mandatory recall authority.
HF Foods and our products are also subject to state and local regulation through such measures as the licensing of our facilities; enforcement by state and local health agencies of state and local standards for our products; and regulation of our trade practices in connection with the sale of our products. Our facilities are subject to regulations issued pursuant to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act by the U.S. Department of Labor. These regulations require us to comply with certain manufacturing, health and safety standards to protect employees from accidents and to establish hazard communication programs to transmit information on the hazards of certain chemicals which may be present in products that we distribute.
Our distribution facilities must be registered with the FDA biennially and are subject to periodic government agency inspections by the FDA and USDA. Our facilities are generally inspected at least annually by federal and/or state authorities.
Our business and employment practices are also subject to regulation by numerous federal, state and local regulatory agencies, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Department of Labor, which sets employment practice standards for workers, and the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as its agencies, the Surface Transportation Board, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which collectively regulate our trucking business through the regulation of operations, safety, insurance and hazardous
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materials. We must comply with the safety and fitness regulations promulgated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, including those relating to drug and alcohol testing and hours of service. Such matters as weight and dimension of equipment also fall under federal and state regulations. We also are subject to federal and state immigration laws, regulations and programs that regulate our ability to hire or retain foreign employees. In addition, we are subject to the U.S. False Claims Act, and similar state statutes, which prohibit the submission of claims for payment to the government that are false and the knowing retention of overpayments.
Our operations are also subject to a broad range of U.S. federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, as well as zoning and building regulations. Environmental laws and regulations cover a variety of procedures, including appropriately managing wastewater and stormwater; complying with clean air laws, including those governing vehicle emissions; proper handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes; protecting against and appropriately investigating and remediating spills and releases; and monitoring and maintaining underground and above ground storage tanks for diesel fuel and other petroleum products. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the costs of managing our compliance with environmental laws and regulations was nominal.
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) prohibits bribery of public officials to obtain or retain business in foreign jurisdictions. The FCPA also requires us to keep accurate books and records and to maintain internal accounting controls to detect and prevent bribery and to ensure that transactions are properly authorized. We have implemented appropriate policy and will continue to maintain a robust anti-corruption compliance program applicable to our operations.
For the purchase of items produced, harvested or manufactured outside of the U.S., we are subject to applicable customs laws regarding the import and export of various products. Certain activities, including working with customs brokers and freight forwarders, are subject to applicable regulation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is a part of the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, the new U.S. administration has called for substantial changes to foreign trade policy. Significant new restrictions and tariffs on foreign trade could have a negative impact on our business and could increase the cost of sourcing products and certain equipment and other materials used in our operations that we procure from outside the U.S.
Information about our Executive Officers as of December 31, 2024
Name Age Position
Xiao Mou Zhang 52 Former Chief Executive Officer
Xi Lin 36 Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer
Cindy Yao 57 Chief Financial Officer
Christine Chang 42 General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
Xiao Mou Zhang (aka Peter Zhang) served as Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director since November 4, 2019 following the merger between HF Foods and B&R Global Holdings Inc. (“B&R Global”), and was promoted to sole Chief Executive Officer on February 23, 2021 until October 24, 2024. From 2014 until the merger, he served as chairman of the board and a director of B&R Global that was co-founded by Mr. Zhang and his partners, to consolidate the shareholdings of various operating entities across the Pacific and Mountain States regions. Mr. Zhang has well over 20 years of experience in the food distribution industry with extensive experience in sales, marketing, financing, acquisitions, inventory, logistics and distribution. Under Mr. Zhang’s leadership, B&R Global established a large supplier network and maintained long-term relationships with many major suppliers stemming from business relationships that were built up over the years. A large purchase volume and a centralized procurement process also allowed B&R Global favorable negotiating power with vendors that source high quality products at lower prices than many competitors. On October 24, 2024, the Board of Directors of HF Foods terminated Xiao Mou (Peter) Zhang as chief executive officer of the Company, without cause, effective immediately. Mr. Zhang’s termination was not due to any disagreement with the Company regarding its financial reporting, policies or practices. Mr. Zhang continues to serve as a director on our Board of Directors.
Xi Lin (aka Felix Lin) was appointed to serve as Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2025, and has served as President since February 12, 2024. Mr Lin previously served as Chief Operating Officer of the Company from May 1, 2022 to January 1, 2025. Mr. Lin also previously served as an independent director of HF Foods from November 2019 to April 2022. Mr. Lin worked in a number of positions at Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ: BLBD) from 2010 until his resignation on April 1, 2022. Prior to his resignation, he was Vice President, with responsibility for compliance, human resources, government relations, corporate training, strategic relationships, and supply chain M&A. He also held various other leadership positions within Blue Bird Corporation in the Manufacturing Operations and Supply Chain Departments from 2015 to 2016, the Finance
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and Accounting Department in 2011 and from 2013 to 2015, and the International Business Development and M&A Departments in 2012. Mr. Lin received his B.A. in Accounting and Finance from the Eugene Stetson School of Business and Economics at Mercer University in Georgia, a Master’s degree in Accountancy from the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business at Georgia College and State University in Georgia, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cindy Yao has served as Chief Financial Officer since May 1, 2024. Ms. Yao joins HF Foods with over three decades of Finance and Accounting leadership experience. For the past 10 years, Ms. Yao served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President for Markel Food Group, a company providing high-quality, innovative automated process solutions, consulting services and technical support to food producers. Prior to that, from 2002 to 2013, Ms. Yao served as Vice President and Corporate Treasurer for Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE: BLCO), an eye health company with $4.8 billion in annual revenue. Ms. Yao also served in various Finance and Accounting leadership roles with Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW), Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: KODK), and Coopers & Lybrand LLP, (now part of PwC) prior to 2002. Ms. Yao holds a Master’s degree in Accounting from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Simon Business School of the University of Rochester.
Christine Chang has served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer since September 8, 2021. Ms. Chang previously served as Vice President - Legal Affairs, Labor Relations and Litigation for Boyd Gaming Corp. (NYSE: BYD). From 2014 through August 2020, she served in various capacities as Corporate Counsel, Litigation, Senior Corporate Counsel, Litigation, and Vice President and Chief Counsel, Litigation, for Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR). Ms. Chang also served as an associate at the law firm of Dentons LLP, from 2008 to 2013. Ms. Chang holds a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric from the University of California and a Juris Doctorate from Columbia University.
Website and Availability of Information
Our corporate website is located at hffoodsgroup.com. We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our filings with the SEC are available to the public on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Those filings are also available to the public on, or accessible through, our corporate website for free via the “Investor Relations” section at investors.hffoodsgroup.com. The information contained on or accessible through our corporate website or any other website that we may maintain is not incorporated by reference into and is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.