Browne Foodservice has appointed Jim Girolamo as its new director of sales foodservice-U.S. Girolamo has been with the smallwares supplier for the past three years with responsibilities in chain account sales and most recently as the company’s eastern regional manager.Company President Michael Browne noted, “Jim Girolamo has effectively worked with many of the key dealers…

The Channel Partners Group has created a new buying group aimed at the purchase and distribution of smallwares and other accessories. CPG made the announcement at its annual Dealer Exchange Conference. The new entity was explained by CPG Pres. David Stafford Sr. "CPG was established to support and drive heavy equipment sales working closely with…

Edward Don & Co. has deepened its coverage of the West Coast with the expansion of its Mira Loma, Calif., distribution facility. The addition, completed in August, doubles Don’s warehouse capacity there. The project increases Don’s California warehouse space to 210,000 sq. ft.; the dealer now has total warehouse space of more than 1.15 million…

Tom Ziolkowski has been promoted by Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Stafford-Smith Inc. to v.p.-national accounts. He had been regional manager of the firm’s Lansing, Mich., office; Ziolkowski will continue to work out of that office. Stafford-Smith is the country’s tenth largest E&S dealer, with 2013 volume of $110 million. Pres. David Stafford told FER, “As of late,…

Sam Tell Companies has added Brian Doyle to its team as director-contract sales. Doyle will focus on further developing the Farmingdale, N.Y., dealer’s growing portfolio of regional and national accounts. He joins Sam Tell after 18 years at Baring Industries and BRC Commercial Kitchens Corp., where he was instrumental in acquiring numerous large corporate accounts.…

Get out your notebooks. Ten scholarships will be tendered by FEDA’s Education Foundation for the University of Innovative Distribution program this spring. The March 8-11, 2015, program in Indianapolis is aimed at professional distribution-management personnel. Course content includes sales planning, negotiating skills, leadership, delegation and inventory management. Participants create their own curriculum to earn continuing-education…

I had another one of those long conversations with a consulting group last week, trying to explain how foodservice equipment and supplies get distributed in the U.S. market. This, and a cogent question from a reader who works for a second-tier or master distributor, led me to realize that we don’t talk very often about…

It’s amazing what one can learn by spending four hours on a golf cart with a dealer, a rep or a manufacturer. There was a lot of learning going on last week at the eighth annual Nonprofessional Foodservice Equipment Ryder Cup outing—dubbed the Rosati Cup the past two years to honor Ron Rosati, who helped…

In a nod to its long-term future in the foodservice firmament, Henny Penny has announced an organizational restructuring comprised of several leadership changes. Under the new corporate structure, the equipment manufacturer has added the CEO title to Rob Connelly’s duties as president. Steve Cobb, who had been serving as chairman and CEO, remains as chairman.…

After declining two months this summer, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index surged in August, rising a full point to 101.9. All eight components of the RPI were positive, with the two indicators tracking capital spending showing strong gains. Any reading above 100 for the index or any of its components signals expansion. The…