In This Section:
DIFC Changes Name To Unified Brands
Middleby Acquires Oven Maker Alkar
FER's Second Annual Awards Program Gears Up
NSF Puts Out Call For Food Safety Stars
NSF, ILSI And WHO Team Up For Hard Water Conference
This issue's Economic Report Sponsor: FER's Customer Choice Dealer Awards | Regulatory ReportSponsor: APW Wyott Innovations
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DIFC Changes Name To Unified Brands
Emphasizing a renewed commitment to its established product lines, DI Foodservice Cos. has changed its name to Unified Brands. The company's brands include Avtec, CapKold, Groen and Randell.
"We have restructured our company into an operating platform that highlights the unique features of our current product lines," said EJ Morrow, v.p. of business development. "The new operating system also provides for expansion with new products and product lines. Unified Brands is more descriptive of our company and this new direction."
Unified Brands is one of 49 individual companies of the Dover Corp. operating within the Food Equipment segment of its Dover Systems subsidiary. Unified operates three manufacturing facilities in Arizona, Michigan and Mississippi.
See www.unifiedbrands.net for more details.
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Middleby Acquires Oven Maker Alkar
The Middleby Corp., Elgin, Ill., has expanded its share of the foodservice cooking equipment market with the acquisition of batch and conveyor oven manufacturer Alkar Holdings, Lodi, Wis. The deal, finalized in December, was valued at $26.7 million.
"In the near term, we will focus on integrating the Alkar operations into the Middleby group, and expect to realize efficiency gains through this process," said Middleby CEO Selim Bassoul.
Middleby develops, manufactures, markets and services a broad line of cooking and food prep equipment for commercial and institutional foodservice operations. The company's brands include Blodgett, Blodgett Combi, Blodgett Range, CTX, MagiKitch'n, Middleby Marshall, Pitco Frialator, RapidPak, Southbend and Toastmaster.
Section sponsored by MUFES '06, Feb. 11-13, 2006
FER's Second Annual Awards Program Gears Up
Know an equipment and supplies dealer who deserves to be recognized for doing a great job? Foodservice Equipment Reports magazine's looking for nominees for its annual Customer Choice Dealer Awards and also will soon be naming recipients of its annual Industry Service Awards.
The Customer Choice Dealer Awards are a way for operators and consultants to honor dealers who regularly go the extra mile for them. If you're an operator or a consultant, look for the fax- and mail-friendly ballot on the cover wrap of the January and February issues of FER. You can also cast your vote online at www.fermag.com.
Candidates include any dealer, full-service or otherwise, who hits targets consistently, whether those targets include design work, spec, replacement ordering or all the above. Non-traditional dealers, bid specialists and logistics specialists all are eligible. Awards will be presented in both national and regional categories.
FER will also present again this year its Industry Service Awards for manufacturer's rep, consultant, service agent, dealer and operator. FER's Industry Service Awards honor people who have made significant contributions to their companies, associations and the foodservice industry. Winners will be chosen with the input of the relevant associations.
Award winners will be announced in a future issue of FER.
Section sponsored by MUFES '06, Feb. 11-13, 2006
NSF Puts Out Call For Food Safety Stars
NSF Int'l. is accepting nominations for its 2006 Food Safety Leadership Awards Program. This annual awards program recognizes groundbreaking achievements in food safety to help protect the public from foodborne illness. Nominations will be accepted through Feb. 28.
Foodservice operators, manufacturers, researchers and members of academia may be nominated. Nominations are divided into six categories: technology breakthroughs, research advances, equipment design, product development, packaging innovation, and systems improvements. Nominations for a special lifetime achievement award are also being accepted.
NSF established the Food Safety Leadership Awards Program in 2004 to highlight exceptional contributions that counter foodborne illness.
Award winners will be announced on May 30 at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center.
The NSF nomination form can be found online at www.nsf.org/business/newsroom/fs_awards_nomination.asp.
Section sponsored by MUFES '06, Feb. 11-13, 2006
NSF, ILSI And WHO Team Up For Hard Water Conference
Got hard water? In foodservice, we generally think of that as a bad thing. Lime deposits in steamers and ice machines, cloudy ice, funky aftertaste in table water and soft drinks all score big negatives. Yet while we're taking out the hard stuff, other interests are looking into its nutritional value.
April 24-26, NSF International and the International Life Sciences Institute will help the World Health Organization put together a major symposium on hard water in Baltimore at the Wyndham Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel. The event will feature a host of scientific talks on hard water's potential health benefits. Talks also will include practical concerns of treatment technology and costs.
Symposium organizers expect to resolve some of the questions surrounding the potential health benefits of calcium and magnesium in water. Following the symposium, WHO will convene experts to offer recommendations in preparation for WHO's Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality due in 2008.
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