One of the nation's top floor covering distributors, Galleher, Inc., has been acquired by Japan's ITOCHU Corp., the two sides confirmed. The deal is expected to give the 60-year old Santa Fe Springs, Calif.-based distributor an infusion of capital as well as the global resources of its new parent company. For ITOCHU, a huge trading company with more than $18 billion in revenues and a portfolio that includes more than 600 affiliated companies, the deal signals its intent to crack the U.S. hard surface flooring market. Plans call for Galleher to operate as a subsidiary within the ITOCHU Group effective immediately.

In a joint statement, ITOCHU's general manager Tomoaki Kato and Galleher's president Jeff Hamar said the deal represented a "significant milestone for both groups to expand their floor covering distribution businesses by providing greater capital and global resources to serve their customers and to maintain strong relationships with suppliers." The two companies said "the acquisition allows for a platform to enter the U.S. market for hard surface flooring, which is not currently handled by ITOCHU's North American subsidiaries and affiliates. For Galleher, this opportunity opens doors for product line diversification and customer base expansion."

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.