Middleby Corp. has appointed Tarek Sarkis as regional v.p.-Middleby Worldwide.Sarkis will be responsible for the sales and marketing of all Middleby brand commercial cooking and beverage equipment, along with Viking residential appliances, in Russia, the Baltic States, Eastern Europe and parts of Central Europe. He has been with Middleby since 2005 and relocated to Belarus…

Jeff Herren has joined Blodgett Ovens as v.p.-regional sales. Based in central California, he will be responsible for leading sales initiatives and regional strategy on the West Coast. Blodgett, headquartered in Burlington, Vt., is a division of Middleby Corp. “Jeff has over 35 years of excellent industry experience that will be a tremendous asset to…

Longtime MAFSI Member Larry Jaeck, of Kirkland, Wash.-based Pro-Pacific Agents, died June 5 while on a business trip to the Midwest. He was 64. Jaeck spent his entire career in the foodservice equipment industry, beginning with Miracle Maid Cookware, then moving on to the Lang Co. and Bill Miles Co. In 1996, he became a…

Duke Mfg. announced June 11 that it would purchase CounterCraft, a Houston-based, privately owned custom serving and counter design manufacturer. The firm, founded in 2005, will continue operating in Houston as a de-centralized company under Pres. Lloyd Hartsfield. St. Louis-based Duke has had a successful three-year joint-venture operation with CounterCraft, according to Duke Pres. Dave…

Weeks after announcing it had become an exclusive supplier of OEM-only parts, Heritage Foodservice Group has launched a new branding platform to undergird its Heritage Parts business focus and sharpen its strengths and relationships in the E&S industry. The rebranding includes a new logo, a redesigned website and a new marketing campaign in print, digital…

Last week’s annual conference of the Association for Healthcare Foodservice in Orlando, Fla., included topical speakers and panel discussions, as well presentations of AHF’s highest awards. Patti Oliver, director of nutrition at UCLA Health, was presented with the 2014 AHF Lifetime Achievement Award. The association’s top award recognizes operator members who best exemplify the leadership…

AccuTemp Products has tapped David Brinkley, CFSP, as v.p.-Combi Oven Division. Brinkley will be responsible for the sales of AccuTemp’s new Fusion line of combination oven-steamers. He will report directly to John Pennington, CFSP, the Fort Wayne, Ind., company’s exec. v.p.-sales/marketing and senior corporate chef. Brinkley will work out of his office in St. Louis.…

McDonald’s Corp. will refranchise at least 1,500 restaurants by 2016, focusing on its Europe and Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) regions. That’s more than a 50% jump in refranchising activity from the prior three years; it would allow the chain to focus on running fewer restaurants while still collecting royalties from the franchised locations.…

Global ambitions are on the agenda at Boneheads Grilled Fish and Chicken. The nine-unit fast-casual chain plans to open 50 stores in the next three years and will debut overseas through a franchise agreement for five stores in Pakistan. Two locations will open by the end of the year. Atlanta-based Boneheads also has inked a…

Another chain is joining in the scramble to create a winning fast-casual concept. Starbucks is set to launch a continental diner this week in Los Angeles. The Seattle company, which acquired San Francisco chain La Boulange Bakery in 2012, will debut La Boulange, serving sandwiches, salads and omelets as well as dinner options, including croissant…