Despite moves to create a more even playing field, Sysco Corp.’s planned acquisition of US Foods has hit an impasse.The country’s largest foodservice distributor says its year-long negotiations with antitrust regulators over the acquisition have come to a standstill despite Sysco’s just-proposed agreement to create competition for itself by selling rival broadliner Performance Food Group…

Electrolux announced an agreement Feb. 5 to acquire Shanghai Veetsan Commercial Machinery Co. Ltd., one of the largest manufacturers of professional dishwashers in China. The acquisition further strengthens Electrolux Professional Products’ position in China and across the Asia Pacific region, where the company sees potential for significant growth in the next few years. “Professional dishwashing…

Stiefel Associates, the 30-year-old Lansing, Mich.-based manufacturers’ rep firm, has expanded into the ventilation business with its purchase of Vent Tech. The acquisition, announced Jan.1, was made under a newly formed sister company, Stiefel Distributing. Vent Tech is a Roseville, Mich., manufacturers’ rep/distributor of foodservice ventilation equipment in Michigan and Indiana. Founder Jim Nichols and…

PB&J is not just a sandwich, it’s the moniker for a newly formed independent manufacturers’ rep firm. A couple of industry veterans have combined forces as principals in PB&J Commercial Agents: PJ Lamb, formerly of Fountain Products, and Carl Boutilier, most recently of HGA. The firm, based in suburban Chicago, will serve MAFSI Region 17…

The Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association is encouraging its members and industry colleagues to make convention hotel-room reservations and convention registrations before the Feb. 13 deadline. Reservations for the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix can be made by phone at 800/835-6206 or online here. Registration forms for the March 25-29 Annual Convention…

The customer-service team at Server Products won kudos last month, helping the Richfield, Wis., company win the Extreme Customer Service award at the Diversified Foodservice Supply Summit. “Meeting Diversified’s standard for extreme customer service is a great honor,” said Jim Drake, Server’s director-sales and marketing. “Server would not have won this award without the daily…

ACP MENUMASTER COMMERCIAL MXP22Three heat sources, 2,000W forced convection, 2,200W, double-side oscillating microwaves and 3,000W infrared radiant from below, combine in an oven that cooks foods 15 times faster than conventional ovens. Convection heat, directed from the top down, has a temp range of 200°F-520°F. The MXP22 stores cooking cycles for up to 360 menu…

Middleby Corp. has launched a new centralized parts program, the Middleby Advantage. The new program offers genuine OEM parts from all Middleby commercial foodservice manufacturers and Viking residential all in one place, at middlebyadvantage.com. The Middleby Advantage website ensures ease of ordering with a detailed and accurate parts search feature to quickly find the needed…

Oneida, one of the truly iconic brands in American tabletop products and foodservice supply, had a really difficult 2014, by almost any measure. Newly public in an arranged marriage with Anchor Hocking, Oneida’s parent EveryWare Global fell out of compliance with its lender agreements in May last year. Though the issue had to do with…

Patrick Hynes, an equipment specification veteran at both Darden Restaurants and McDonald’s Corp., has joined The Middleby Corp. as senior v.p.-global supply chain. Hynes will be responsible for corporate-level management of daily supply-chain operations for Middleby’s 40-plus brands. “Pat brings more than 30 years of exceptional experience, working directly with customers, suppliers and manufacturers. He…