Curtis Restaurant Equipment, the family-owned dealer, has been sold to its employees. The Springfield, Ore., company, founded in 1963, sold 100% of its stock to employees in an ESOP transaction; Dan Curtis and Mike Curtis were majority shareholders. Under the deal, effective November 16, all 54 Curtis employees will participate in company ownership.The company, founded…

Ronald van Bakergem has been named the new President of Irinox USA. Van Bakergem, who has worked in the U.S. foodservice industry for about seven years, joins Irinox from Miami-based Infrico USA, where he was G.M. Infrico imports, distributes and sells commercial refrigeration equipment. He also served as North American sales director during his three-year…

Boelter Direct South has hired Rusty Skaggs, Owner of Bethlehem, Ga.-based Restaurant Outfitters. Skaggs has more than a decade of experience working in the foodservice industry with particular expertise in foodservice design, equipment purchasing and installation. Nick Adams, President of Boelter Direct South, stated, “We are honored to have someone with Rusty’s experience, talent and…

Champion Industries/Ali Group has tapped Brent Blanton as its new National Service Manager. Blanton will replace Gary Tuttle, who is retiring from the position at the end of 2015 after 44 years with the Winston-Salem, N.C., warewashing manufacturer. Blanton began his career in foodservice in 1995 as the managing partner and branch manager of Raleigh,…

Melissa Figas has joined Tomlinson Industries as its new Marketing and Advertising Manager. She previously worked in sales and finance roles at McMaster-Carr Supply, a national distributor of industrial supplies, and in web content development at Midwest Retail Services, a Columbus, Ohio, distributor of retail fixtures. Also new to Tomlinson is Matt Figas, the Cleveland,…

Globe Food Equipment has added two members to its offices in Dayton, Ohio. Kari Fulton is the firm’s new Food Retail Business Development Manager. She joins Globe from Alto-Shaam, where she served as v.p.-retail sales. Fulton started her foodservice career at The University of Iowa, where she spent 13 years in restaurant, club and institutional…

Franke Foodservice Solutions, the Smyrna, Tenn., manufacturer, has selected 4 Star Representatives for its network of independent marketing agencies. The firm will provide full marketing and sales support throughout eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. The six-person firm is owned by Karen VanPelt-Higgins, a registered dietitian with more than 20 years of multiunit foodservice management…

Cian Hickey has been named Managing Director of Micro Matic Dispense Division. He succeeds John Soler, who has stepped into a new role as Senior Director-Strategic Partnerships. Micro Matic manufactures and supplies keg valves and dispensing equipment in more than 120 countries. Hickey, hired three years ago by the Brooksville, Fla., company, brings to the…

Domino’s Pizza is on the move, establishing a footprint in Italy and launching a delivery vehicle that includes a warming oven behind the driver’s door. The warming oven in Domino’s “DXP” car can hold two heat-retention bags and is accessible to drivers with the touch of a key fob. The vehicle’s interior includes both front…

Kahala Brands has acquired Maui Wowi, giving the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based franchisor its fourth smoothie brand. Terms of the deal, which expands Kahala’s smoothie footprint to more than 800 locations, were not disclosed. Denver-based Maui Wowi serves coffee and smoothies from 400 mobile carts and 29 standalone units and has 200 franchisees. Kahala operates smoothie chains…