Rooted in family:
our legacy
As a family-owned and operated business in the heart of the Midwest, Wald Family Foods takes pride in our heritage and the values that have guided us since our humble beginnings.
Learn more about our history and the people that guided it, and discover the passion and dedication that have shaped Wald Family Foods into the trusted name it is today.
Tony Wald
Chairman
Tony Wald is the founder and current Chairman of TOBA, Inc, the parent company of Wald Family Foods.
Having possessed an entrepreneurial spirit from an early age, Tony got his start in the business world by opening an employment agency franchise in Pueblo, Colorado in 1972. He would then work for the Nash Finch Company, a Fortune 500 grocery wholesaler, where he became the youngest Vice President in the company’s history in 1989. He eventually became Divisional Vice President and moved to Nebraska.
Tony and his wife, Barbara, had purchased a convenience store in Minnesota in 1984. Wanting to keep the business under a corporation, TOBA Inc. was founded. In 1995, Tony left Nash Finch and grew TOBA by purchasing the Thompson Company in Grand Island, NE. TOBA continued to acquire various food distributors throughout the 2000s and became one of Nebraska’s fastest-growing broadline food service companies.
In 2017, TOBA shifted its focus to food manufacturing and rebranded itself as Wald Family Foods. Tony continues to work alongside his two sons and grandson. He is an avid outdoorsman, spending his free time fishing and hunting at his property, Twelve Gauge Landing.
Tommy Wald
CEO
Tommy has worked for the family business since 1998, starting as a warehouseman and cigarette stamper for The Thompson Company. Much like his brother Bob, he worked his way up through the company, spending time in as many roles as possible to learn the business. He had stints as an order selector, delivery driver, sales representative, and buyer before becoming Director of Marketing and eventually Vice President – Sales & Marketing of The Thompson Company.
TOBA, Inc. moved its headquarters out of the Thompson Company’s location to its own office space in 2011, where Tommy became Vice President of Sales & Marketing for TOBA (at the time, TOBA consisted of individual LLCs The Thompson Company, PA Braunger Foods, Variety Foods, DI Manufacturing, and Deli International). He became Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing in 2015 and CEO of TOBA in 2021.
Tommy graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1996 with a BS degree in Business Administration. He played point guard for the Cornhusker men’s basketball team from 1993 to 1996, when they won a Big Eight Tournament Championship (1994) and an NIT Championship (1996). He enjoys watching sports, hunting alongside his black lab, Angel, and working to grow the family business.
Bob Wald
President & COO
Bob joined the family business in 1996, shortly after Tony Wald purchased The Thompson Company. He was working for AVCO Financial in St. Cloud, MN, when he received the call inviting him to join the company. Tony insisted that Bob begin working at the bottom and learning the business from the ground up. He started as a cigarette stamper and warehouseman, then was a delivery driver, salesperson (where he won DSR of the Year), and buyer before elevating to Director of Marketing for The Thompson Company.
In 2005, Bob transferred to Sioux City, IA, where he became General Manager for Braunger Foods. He held that role until 2011, when he moved back to Grand Island, NE, to run The Thompson Company. In 2015, Bob transferred to TOBA’s headquarters, where he became Executive Vice President of Operations. Tony Wald was elevated to Chairman of the Board in 2021, which moved Bob to President & Chief Operating Officer, a role he performs today.
Bob graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a finance degree in 1993. He enjoys hunting with his three Labrador retrievers, Duke, Indy, and Apollo, watching sports, and spending time with his three wonderful kids.
Brayden Wald
Wald's third generation
Brayden, Bob Wald’s son, joined TOBA in 2021 as a management trainee at Wald Family Foods – C Street.
He’s performed roles as a production line attendant, quality assurance, warehouseman, warehouse supervisor, and inventory management. He is now in purchasing. Brayden is the third generation of Wald in the business.
Our commitment to growth
At Wald Family Foods, we’re always poised to embrace the next challenge. Our dedicated team is ready to tackle your innovative ideas or adapt to meet your evolving needs.
Continuously seeking improvement and expansion, we aim to offer more avenues for advancing your brand. Wald Family Foods is committed to being your steadfast, long-term co-manufacturing partner.
The History of
Wald Family Foods
The Birth of TOBA, Inc. Over a family dinner in Brooklyn Park, MN, founder Tony Wald asked his family for name ideas for his new corporation. After a flurry of suggestions, 12-year-old Tommy asked, "How about TOBA?" When Tony asked why, Tommy proudly explained it used the first two letters of their four names: TOny, BArb, TOmmy, and BAb. Charmed by the creativity and not having the heart to correct Tommy's spelling of his brother Bob's name, Tony made it official. TOBA, Inc. was born.
TOBA, Inc.—the parent company of Wald Family Foods—enters the industry when Tony Wald purchases The Thompson Company, a food distributor in Grand Island, Nebraska, from Gene Reab.
BOB WALD JOINS THE THOMPSON COMPANY, becoming the first second-generation family member to join the family business.
TOMMY WALD JOINS THE THOMPSON COMPANY.
TOBA, Inc. acquires their second broadline food service distribution company: Braunger Foods in Sioux City, IA.
TOBA, INC. EXPANDS INTO FOOD MANUFACTURING AND FUNDRAISING by acquiring DI Manufacturing and Deli International in Omaha, NE.
JOHN STEFFENS BECOMES PRESIDENT OF DI MANUFACTURING & DELI INTERNATIONAL OF OMAHA.
Zack Best Joins DI Manufacturing as a Warehouseman.
TOBA, Inc. acquires its third broadline food service distribution company: Variety Foods in Sioux Falls, SD.
TOBA, INC. ACQUIRES ITS SECOND FOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, TASTE TRADITIONS, LOCATED IN OMAHA.
TOBA, Inc. acquires Mid-Nebraska Restaurant Supply, a restaurant equipment dealer and distributor. The company name is changed to Midwest Restaurant Supply.
TOBA, Inc acquires its fourth broadline food service distribution company: Southwest Wholesale in Marshall, MN.
TOBA, INC. DIVESTS ITSELF OF ALL FOOD DISTRIBUTION ASSETS TO US FOODS in order to shift its focus to food manufacturing.
TOBA, INC. ACQUIRES THE 110,000 SQ FT FORMER NATIONS PIZZA FACILITY in McPherson, KS, with the intention of building topping redundancy and adding a bakery to the operation.
WALD FAMILY FOODS, LLC. IS CREATED. The three existing manufacturing facilities are renamed for their street address. Taste Traditions becomes Wald Family Foods – F Street, DI Manufacturing is renamed Wald Family Foods – C Street, and the McPherson, KS facility is now known as Wald Family Foods – Bridger CT.
The bakery inside Wald Family Foods – Bridger CT is operational.
BRAYDEN WALD JOINS WALD FAMILY FOODS, marking the first third-generation Wald to join the family business.
Tony Wald becomes Chairman, Tommy Wald is named CEO, and Bob Wald is named President/COO of TOBA, Inc.
Wald Family Foods acquires the 254,000 sq ft former aldi distribution center in Burlington, IA, with the intention of turning it into another gluten-free pizza manufacturing facility. It will become known as Wald Family Foods - Mt. Pleasant.
JOHN STEFFENS RETIRES AS COO OF WALD FAMILY FOODS after a 20-year career with the company.
Zack Best is named President of Wald Family Foods.
Wald Family Foods acquires Drayton Foods in Fargo, ND. This makes four operating manufacturing facilities. This is the first move toward gluten-full pizza as Drayton produces wheat based pizza dough balls and crusts. It is named Wald Family Foods - 39th Street.
WALD FAMILY FOODS – MT. PLEASANT, LOCATED IN BURLINGTON, IA, becomes operational. This makes five operational manufacturing facilities for Wald Family Foods located in four Midwest states, totaling over 700,000 sq ft.