In This Section:
Brazos Acquires Majority Stake In Strategic
CEOs Of IHOP, Panera Win Silver Plate Awards
Changing Of The Guard At TriMark USA
Hicks Tapped As Lincoln’s Interim Prez
Charlie Brown’s To Be Sold To Trimaran
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom…To Anaheim
Who’s Your Favorite Dealer? Now, Vote!
Oneida To Sell Sherrill Flatware Manufacturing Facility
This issue's Economic Report Sponsor: Atlas Metal Industries Inc. | Regulatory ReportSponsor: APW Wyott Innovations
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Brazos Acquires Majority Stake In Strategic
Brazos Private Equity Partners, LLC, a leading Dallas-based private investment firm, announced Thursday it has acquired a majority stake in Strategic Equipment and Supply Corp., also of Dallas. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Strategic provides turnkey equipment, supplies, fabrication, smallwares and project management solutions for restaurant chains, supermarkets, healthcare facilities and independent restaurants. Its annual sales approach nearly $250 million. The company, which operates 15 regional facilities, was formed in 2000 by the merging of six independent foodservice equipment and supply businesses. Since then the company has completed two additional acquisitions.
"We’re very excited about our new relationship with Brazos," said Strategic’s Kevin Bruce, who will continue to serve as president and CEO. "[This] will help us reach our broader potential by expanding geographic coverage, enhancing our market position and providing additional resources for customers."
Brazos partners with management teams to invest in manufacturing, consumer products and services, healthcare, media, distribution, and financial service businesses.
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CEOs of IHOP, Panera Win Silver Plate Awards
IHOP’s Julia Stewart and Panera Bread’s Ronald Shaich have been named commercial chain winners in the Int'l. Foodservice Manufacturers Association’s 2005 Silver Plate awards competition. The awards are given annually to nine professionals achieving excellence in foodservice management.
Stewart, president and CEO of IHOP Corp. in Glendale, Calif., won in the Chain Full Service category, while Shaich, chairman and CEO of Panera Bread in Needham, Mass., won for Chain Fast Service.
Other winners include:
Richard Cattani, president, Restaurant Associates Managed Services, Restaurant
Associates, New York (Foodservice Management category);
Marc Cohen, executive chef/owner, 230 Forest Avenue Grill & Martini Bar/Opah, Laguna Beach, Calif. (Independent Restaurants category);
Linda Lafferty, director of food and nutrition services; Rush University Medical Center, Chicago (Health Care category);
Mary Niven, v.p. of resort food and beverage, Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, Calif. (Specialty Foodservices category);
David Prentkowski, director, food services, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind. (Colleges & Universities category);
Paul Pusateri, senior v.p. of operations, Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Las Vegas (Hotels & Lodging category);
Dora Rivas, division manager, Food & Child Nutrition Services Department, Dallas Independent School District, Dallas (Elementary & Secondary Schools category).
The Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration will be take place on May 23 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers. For more information, log onto www.ifmaworld.com.
Section sponsored by Salvajor Co.
Changing Of The Guard At TriMark USA
Big changes at the top for TriMark USA. The South Attleboro, Mass., distribution company recently announced that Jerald Hyman will be stepping up as president at the beginning of March. Hyman will take the place of current President Robert J. Halpern, who will retire at the end of the month.
Hyman is a 25-year vet at TriMark United East, where he served in various executive positions—most recently as the operating company’s president. He will continue to serve a dual role until a new president of TriMark United East is named.
Halpern has served as president since 1999. He led the build-up of TriMark, starting with the sale of his family company, United East, to Bradford Equities LLP in ’98. Halpern, who has logged 45 years in the foodservice industry, will be an advisor to the firm and remain on its board of directors.
TriMark USA is a leading distributor of foodservice equipment, design services and supplies. The company operates divisions in Chicago, Irvine, Calif., and Winston-Salem, N.C., as well as South Attleboro.
Section sponsored by Salvajor Co.
Hicks Tapped As Lincoln’s Interim Prez
Enodis has announced that Mike Hicks will serve as interim president of the company’s Lincoln Foodservice Group. He takes the place of Stephen J. Whiteley, who passed away in January.
Hicks, who will continue to serve as CFO for Enodis North America, brings to the position extensive management and operational experience in foodservice. He had previously served as president of Aladdin Temp-Rite and also as Lincoln’s CFO.
Lincoln, Fort Wayne, Ind., specializes in impinger ovens, cookware and food prep smallware equipment. Parent company Enodis is headquartered in New Port Richey, Fla.
Charlie Brown’s To Be Sold To Trimaran
Trimaran Capital Partners has agreed to purchase New Jersey family steakhouse chain Charlie Brown’s (no relation to Charles Schultz), from Castle Harlan. The deal was valued at $140 million and is expected to close during the first quarter.
Charlie Brown’s, of Mountainside, N.J., operates 45 Charlie Brown’s Steakhouses, seven casual outlets called The Office Restaurant Beer Bar & Grill and two units called The Jolley Trolley Bar & Grill. Russell D’Anton will continue as the company’s CEO.
Castle Harlan, a New York-based private equity firm, purchased Charlie Brown’s in 1997 from Restaurant Associates. The firm’s restaurant portfolio also includes Caribbean Restaurants, McCormick & Schmick’s, Morton’s Steakhouse and 167 Burger King units.
Trimaran is a private asset management firm based in New York City.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom…to Anaheim
As The NAFEM Show draws closer, most attendees will sensibly book flights. However, a few, shall we say, less-sensible foodservice industry folks will be hopping aboard motorcycles to make the long cross-country trek—all in the name of charity.
The biennial fundraising ride, this year called "The Road to Anaheim 2005," has the lofty goal of raising $100,000 for America’s Second Harvest and its network of food banks and food-rescue organizations. San Diego-based foodservice E&S dealer and design firm R.W. Smith & Co. is a key sponsor.
Riders will set forth during the week of Sept. 12 from five regions of the country, converging before arriving in Anaheim on Sept. 20 in plenty of time to attend pre-show association meetings before the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers opens its show. The exhibition runs Sept. 23-25 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
This year marks the fourth such fund-raiser. Previous Rides went to NAFEM shows in New Orleans in ’03, Orlando in ’01 and Dallas in 1999, raising a total of about $190,000 in donations.
And this year, for the first time, the event will be open to non-foodservice industry riders.
For more information, email Alexa Kinney at akinney@rwsmithco.com.
Who’s Your Favorite Dealer? Now, VOTE!
Last month we told you about our newly created Customer Choice Dealer Awards. Now, we need all you operators and consultants to go online to cast your ballots and help us choose them. A quick trip to www.fermag.com is all it takes.
The Customer Choice Dealer Awards give operators and consultants a way to applaud dealers and kitchen equipment suppliers who regularly go the extra mile. Award candidates include dealerships that hit targets consistently, execute design work well, and/or handle routine replacements with style.
Awards will be presented in both national and regional categories. Winners will be honored at a Foodservice Equipment Reports event prior to the National Restaurant Association Show in May.
Oneida To Sell Sherrill Flatware Manufacturing Facility
Oneida Ltd., of Oneida, N.Y., is in final negotiations to sell certain assets of its flatware factory operations in Sherrill, N.Y., to Sherrill Manufacturing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Oneida had previously announced on Sept. 9, 2004, that it was ending manufacture of flatware at its Sherrill facility.
The sale includes the main factory buildings and associated equipment, certain raw materials and supplies. However, the Oneida name, trademarks, designs and logos will remain the property of Oneida.
The new owners will operate the Sherrill factory as an independent supplier.
Oneida is a leading source of flatware, dinnerware, crystal, glassware and metal servingware for the consumer and foodservice industries.
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