Two trends are very clear from our annual Top Dealers survey detailed in this issue. First, the biggest dealers, those in the Top 30 or so, continue to grow rapidly, partly by exploiting their chain orientations and partly through acquisition of smaller dealers that fill in regions or niches for them. Many of these dealers…
MOREThe heavy-gauge stainless Caster Cradle is the only caster stabilizing device having a patent-pending uniform circular design that allows for approach from any angle, utilizing units secured to the floor where the casters of mobile equipment are to be centered. There is no need to line up wheels at the same time while trying to…
MOREThe past two-and-a-half weeks have reminded me of something I’ve known a very long time: Few businesses offer more people more opportunity than foodservice. As Beth mentions in her editorial, we’ve been very busy. We attended the annual convention of the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association in late March, then headed to Shanghai for the Hotelex…
MOREWe knew the brutal winter in most parts of the U.S. was hurting restaurant and other foodservice sales. But we had no idea it was this bad. New research from Technomic Inc., the Chicago-based research firm, indicates just how bad it’s been. Technomic research in February found 40% of restaurant operators in every region of…
MOREThe MKN FlexiChef was awarded the Manufacturer of the Year 2013 honors at the FCSI EAME (Europe, Africa, Middle East) meeting in Warsaw in October. The multifaceted cooking unit, equipped with the first automatic cleaning system for horizontal cooking technology, was honored by the consultants for its distinguished design, and optimizing factors related to energy,…
MOREMike Whiteley, the new president of the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers, has goals and a vision. The Hatco executive was installed as president in New Orleans on Feb. 8 during the group’s Annual Meeting & Management Workshop. He takes over from Tom Campion of Franke, who, among other achievements, was the first…
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