Taylor Precision Products, the Chicago-based company maker of thermometers, timer and scales, has added Metrokane Inc., a maker of barware and wine accessories, to its brand portfolio.Metrokane, which manufactures wine accessories and barware, is the parent company of Rabbit and Houdini brands. Its founder, Riki Kane, will remain with the company for a long transition…

Two of the largest broadline distributors in the country will be joining forces. On Dec. 9, Sysco agreed to buy rival US Foods for about $3.5 billion in stock and cash. Under the terms of the agreement announced Monday, Houston-based Sysco will pay $3 billion in common stock and $500 million in cash. It also…

The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association is marking its 75th anniversary this year. CESA, first established in 1938, is the UK’s largest and most influential membership group for companies that manufacture, import/export, distribute, install and/or service commercial catering equipment. It has more than 160 members encompassing the full spectrum of equipment and ancillary services, utensils and…

After nearly 40 years as a one-company man, Ian Garner, managing director of Hobart Cooking Solutions, will retire at the end of the year. Garner began his 39-year tenure with the UK operation on the accounts team and in sales, before becoming sales director in 1994, director for sales and marketing in ‘97, and managing…

Bloomin’ Brands EVP Pat Murtha has been named president of Bloomin’ Brands International. Murtha will be responsible for helping define, develop and implement the international growth strategy for Bloomin’ Brands, and will be a member of the executive leadership team. Prior to joining Bloomin’ Brands, Murtha held leadership roles at Yum! Brands, where he spent…

Burger King, which first entered China in 2005, is expanding into the country’s southwestern market. In August, it opened its first restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, marking the chain’s first outlet in southwestern China and a crucial first step for Burger King’s development across the region. Over the next five years, the Miami, Fla., chain…

Milan was buzzing with foodservice professionals who flocked to the five-day Host 2013 last month. The biennial show, held at the fieramilano pavilions October 18-22, is a must-see for an overview of excellent foodservice equipment design and technology. The Host show featured 1,700 exhibitors from 48 countries, encompassing 12 halls. Attendance was up 7% over…

Jan. 13-16: Horecava 2014-Amsterdam RAI Exhibition Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Contact: Amsterdam RAI, horecava@rai.nl; horecava.nl Jan. 22-25: ANFAS Hotel Equipment Exhibition-Antalya Expo Center, Antalya, Turkey. Contact: ANFAS, info@anfas.com.tr; anfashotelequipment.com Jan. 23-25: Food Hospitality World-MMRDA Grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Contact: Pallavi Tyagi, The Indian Express Ltd., Express Hospitality, pallavi@fieramilano.in; fhwexpo.com Jan. 25-27: MUFES 2014:…

McDonald’s Corp. is putting down corporate roots in the eastern region of China. The Oak Brook, Ill., company has located its Anhui headquarters in Baohe district, Hefei. Currently, McDonald’s has 27 units in Anhui. During the next five years, the chain plans to open more than 120 new restaurants in the province, with a goal…

Frymaster 1814 Fryers (gas and electric) offer a trio of savings: oil, energy, and space. The 1814 gas fryers have a Thermo-Tube heat transfer system which uses 6-in. vs. 4-in. tubes to provide superior heat-to-oil transfer and use more than 50% less energy than standard large-capacity fryers. The 1814 electric fryers have flat-bar, low-watt-density, ribbon-type,…