We’ve now toted up the results from our third annual Foodservice Equipment Reports Top Dealer Report. The 46 companies that verified their volumes this year had a very good year in 2012, at least on the top line as a group. The Top Dealers had combined revenues of nearly $4.4 billion last year; half of…

Restaurant Equippers plans to open its third warehouse store this summer to serve the Northeast region of the country. The Columbus, Ohio-based company expects a July opening for its 40,000-sq.-ft. store in Pennsauken, N.J. It has an existing customer base in the region, including clients from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington,…

E.J. Morrow, former president of Standex Cooking Solutions Group, has been appointed president and CEO at QualServ Corp. The Fort Smith, Ark., distributor manufactures custom wood and metal fixtures, and according to FER’s 2012 Top Dealer estimates, sold upwards of $65 million of foodservice equipment and supplies in 2011. Morrow, who also served in senior…

Rod Chaudoir, former president and chairman of the board of Hatco Corp., died April 28. Chaudoir, a native of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., joined Hatco in 1952 as assistant to Hatco founder Gordon Hatch, who recognized Chaudoir’s talent for administration as well as innovation. As the company grew, he became involved in virtually all aspects of…

As part of a long-term strategy to maintain its presence as one of the industry’s major buying groups, Supply & Equipment Foodservice Alliance has announced plans to become member-owned. As the new multiyear plan is carried out, SEFA’s current owners Tedde and Jim Reid and the SEFA executive committee and management team will continue to…

The fight continues against legislation that could limit a foodservice distributor’s ability to bid on or perform interior-design work. FEDA reports that in April it notified its South Carolina members about a hearing regarding HB 3417, a bill which, if adopted, would be one of the most restrictive interior-design laws in the country and make…

Myers Restaurant Supply is expanding outside of its northern California base. The Santa Rosa, Calif.-based dealer has opened a sales office in Costa Mesa to service the company’s growing Southern California business. Twenty-year industry veteran Shelley Spear will head up the new MRS-South location as general manager. Myers has been operating in Santa Rosa for…

Kitchen Brains has tapped Timothy Lane, a longstanding board member, to take the firm’s reins as CEO. Lane most recently served as president/CEO of Holiday Inn Worldwide. Prior to that post, he was CEO of PepsiCo Restaurants Int’l. (KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell before their acquisitions by Yum! Brands) for Asia and the Middle…

Alto-Shaam has added Brian Zornes as its new v.p. of national accounts-retail. Zornes joins the Menomonee Falls, Wis., manufacturer after 17 years with CSC Worldwide, formerly Columbus Show Case, most recently as v.p.-supermarket sales. At Alto-Shaam, Zornes will be responsible for the strategic development and tactical execution of targeted regional/national chain and multi-unit account growth…

EnviroPure Systems, a maker of self-contained organic food-waste disposal systems, has hired Stefan Kahl as its new national sales manager. Kahl comes from the Atlanta division of U.S. Foods, where he spent nine years as specialist/category manager of non-foods/equipment and supplies. EnviroPure recently was acquired by T&S Brass and Bronze Works and moved its headquarters…