In This Section:
IFMA Opens Voting To Honor Regional Chains
Obit: Industry Veteran Ray Donovan
EQ Or IQ: FEDA To Examine Why Businesses Succeed
Middleby Finalizes Doyon Deal
Vollrath Acquires Lincoln Smallwares
Snap-Drape Now Known As Forbes Group
This issue's Economic Report Sponsor: Henny Penny
Regulatory ReportSponsor: Manitowoc Foodservice
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IFMA Opens Voting To Honor Regional Chains
The list of nominees has been finalized, and IFMA-member votes are due by Jan.13 for the 2010 Regional Chain Excellence Awards. The awards program from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association garnered nominations for 38 regional chains this year. The three nominees that receive the most votes will be honored at the association’s upcoming COEX (Chain Operators Exchange) conference, Feb. 28 to March 3 in Orlando.
The nominees are, in alphabetical order: Auntie Anne's, Black Bear Diners, Boudin, Buffalo Wings & Rings, Country Kitchen, Culver's, Del Taco, Eat'n Park, Egg & I, El Pollo Loco, Firehouse Subs, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Frisch's, Golden Corral, In-N-Out Burger, Lori's Diner, McCormick & Schmick's, Miller's Ale House, and Moe's Southwest Grill.
The list continues: Newk's Express Café, O'Charley's, Panera Bread, Pizza Ranch, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Quaker Steak & Lube, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Ruby's Diner, Salsarita's Fresh Cantina, Smashburger, Taco Bueno, Taco John's, Tijuana Flats, Togo's Eateries, Tommy's Red Hots, Whataburger, Zaxby's, and Zea/Semolina.
Visit www.ifmaworld.com for more information or to cast your vote.
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Obit: Industry Veteran Ray Donovan
Raymond H. Donovan, one of the founding fathers of the modern foodservice equipment industry, died Dec.15. He was 81.
In the years after World War II, as the stainless-steel industry boomed, Donovan established Lakeside Mfg. Co. in Milwaukee. For more than 60 years, the company has manufactured stainless carts, plate dispensers and other mobile foodservice equipment. Donovan was president of the company until his retirement in 1998.
Donovan was active in numerous industry organizations and served a term as president of the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers in 1987. He is survived by his wife, Liz; five children; and 28 grandchildren.
EQ Or IQ: FEDA To Examine Why Businesses Succeed
Is it true that a high IQ can only get you so far in life, and a high IQ is no measure of success in business? The Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association will host a teleconference at 10 a.m. Thurs., Jan. 28, to take a look at recent research that says IQ is only responsible for about 10% of success in business, and is outweighed in importance by the EQ—emotional intelligence.
During the teleconference, FEDA members will be able to learn how to maximize their sales force’s EQ. The event will feature Daniel H. McQuiston, Ph.D., discussing EQ’s profound impact on sales, how to better understand yourself, and, most importantly, how to better understand and approach your customers. Registration fees are $130 per phone line. More information is available from FEDA headquarters at 800/677-9605.
Middleby Finalizes Doyon Deal
The Middleby Corp. has further expanded its brand portfolio and market reach by acquiring Doyon Equipment, a leading maker of commercial baking ovens. The Canadian manufacturer reported approximately $15 million in annual sales last year. The acquisition comes a year after Middleby acquired TurboChef Technologies, the Atlanta-based speed-cook oven maker.
"We are very excited to have the Doyon team, led by Karl Doyon, joining the Middleby organization," said Selim A. Bassoul, Middleby chairman and CEO. "Karl will continue to lead Doyon as the president of this division. He and his team will lead initiatives to expand Middleby’s presence in the bakery and supermarket segments, as well as initiatives to expand the presence of the Middleby portfolio of products in Canada. Karl is well respected within the industry and will be a great addition to our team."
With Doyon in the fold, Middleby has 23 foodservice equipment brands in its portfolio, including Anets, Blodgett, Pitco and Toastmaster. The company is based in Elgin, Ill.
Vollrath Acquires Lincoln Smallwares
Sheboygan, Wis.-based The Vollrath Co. has acquired Lincoln Smallwares, a Fort Wayne, Ind., division of The Manitowoc Co. The acquisition includes the entire line of Lincoln Wear-Ever products; Manitowoc will retain the Lincoln name and its other Lincoln businesses and product lines.
Founded in 1901 as The United States Aluminum Co., Lincoln Smallwares got its start manufacturing aluminum cooking utensils and adopted the Wear-Ever trademark for the utensils three years later. Today, the Wear-Ever brand is found on more than 300 commercial and institutional foodservice products such as pots, pans, bakeware, and trays. In addition, Vollrath will be adding products from Lincoln Smallwares’ other lines, including Centurion stainless-steel cookware and Redco, a line of manual food-processing equipment.
"Acquiring Lincoln Smallwares enables Vollrath to provide a broad array of strong cookware, bakeware and food prep brands, ensuring our customers have the best possible product selection," said Paul Bartelt, Vollrath’s president and CEO. "The acquisition also further solidifies our position as the premier supplier of cookware for the foodservice industry."
Snap-Drape Now Known As Forbes Group
Snap-Drape Forbes Group, which has been manufacturing tablecloths, table skirting and conference cloth for nearly three decades, is changing its name to Forbes Group Ltd.
Since 1995, Snap-Drape has also supplied a growing range of banqueting furniture, including tables, chairs, lecterns, cocktail tables, staging and dance floors under its Forbes Furniture brand. The British company’s textile and furniture divisions are now merging, and—reflecting the growth of the furniture brand—sharing the Forbes name with Forbes Furniture.
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