Ira Kaplan, who served as an industry leader for decades and was a beloved friend and mentor to many, passed away November 18 after a long illness. He was 72.Kaplan spent most of his industry career with his family’s Easton, Mass., manufacturing company, Servolift Eastern, advancing to helm it as president. In 2002 he formed…

Having a hard time keeping track of the latest regulatory rulings, refrigerant phaseouts and all the acronyms (EPA, SNAP, GWP) involved in understanding what is going on with refrigeration and how all of it impacts your business? Tune in at 2 p.m. EST on November 29 to Emerson’s E360 Webinar to get a handle on…

A lot of business unfolded in Chicago during PRIDE Marketing & Procurement’s joint shareholder-supplier brunch. During the mid-October brunch, held to thank stakeholders for the support they have shown the Denver buying group in 2016, the company announced it had redefined its vision, mission, and core values and unveiled its new name: PRIDE Centric Resources.…

Sales trainer Sam Richter is slated as the speaker for FEDA’s Luncheon & Sales Training Box Lunch seminar during The NAFEM Show 2017. Richter, who specializes in sales intelligence and sales relationship intelligence, will share innovative ideas on how to find information on people, companies, and competitors The association will host the “Know More: Relationships”…

Manufacturers’ representatives surveyed by the Manufacturers’ Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry remain optimistic about their sales in 2017. MAFSI released its annual market forecast last week. The reps forecast sales growth for like lines will increase 4.4% next year, very much in line with the current forecast of 4.5% growth this year. In comparison,…

The volatility seen in recent months in the

American consumers seem to get that the current economy is about as good as it’s going to get, according the latest research from the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumers and The Conference Board. Both groups’ readings of consumer confidence softened in October. UM’s Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 87.2 in the final October reading,…

A new study of the global restaurant industry from New York-based consulting firm AlixPartners finds myriad opportunities and on-going challenges as consumers become increasingly discerning and demanding. The study, “Global Restaurant Outlook: Feeding the Global Consumer,” surveyed 4,600 consumers in nine industrialized markets as well as 60 executives at more than 40 leading global restaurant…

Chipotle Mexican Grill has axed the ShopHouse and flipped over to burgers. The Denver chain cut the ribbon on Tasty Made, its new burger concept, in Lancaster, Ohio, on October 27. The burgers, fries and shakes concept merges the cooking ideas behind “better burger” chains with the model of pioneering QSRs. Tasty Made executives say…

A new webinar from PG&E’s Food Service Technology Center, is focusing on Learning to See: Lighting Design for CFS. The program, 10-11 a.m. PST/1-2 p.m. EST, Thursday November 17, takes participants “beyond the bulb” in thinking about commercial foodservice lighting. It will be led by the FSTC’s resident lighting expert Richard Young, director-education/senior engineer at…