Kool Star is relocating its panel manufacturing plant from Nogales, Mexico, to New Albany, Miss. Shifting the work stateside will provide centrally located manufacturing and distribution, allowing the company to reduce shipping lead-times and costs while servicing the entire North America marketplace.The company said the move enables it to expand to a complete line of…

Head to nafem.org and check out the NAFEM Sustainability Calculator, developed by the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers in partnership with ASTM Int’l. The calculator uses an Excel spreadsheet to define a standard method for foodservice equipment manufacturers to measure the environmental impact of products. It identifies specific environmental factors, awards points to…

Fall might be upon us, but there is still time this year to secure important tax perks for purchasing or selling equipment. The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010, signed by Pres. Obama last September, provides tax relief for foodservice operations and small businesses and assistance in gaining access to capital. The legislation…

In a first for American restaurant chains, KFC has opened its debut unit in East Africa. The Nairobi outlet is the first American fast-food restaurant in the region’s most developed economy. The 100-seat unit opened in August. Creating a KFC unit in Kenya had been in the works for more than a year; it took…

Win-Holt Equipment Group has purchased Commercial Stainless Fabricators, located in Marietta, Ga. The acquisition gives Win-Holt the ability to offer refrigeration, heating, ventilation, customized millwork and woodwork and full on-site factory installation services. CSF’s 60,000-sq.-ft. facility will join operations with Win-Holt’s custom stainless steel fabrication arm. It will be supported by the Syosset, N.Y., manufacturer’s…

Wendy’s is moving back to its original Dublin, Ohio, headquarters, and testing four new restaurant designs in four American cities. Two new units in nearby Columbus are among the prototypes. “These new remodels are part of a multi-year strategy to reinvigorate our brand and the way our customers interact with us,” according to David Karam,…

Some years ago, at one of the big association meetings—might’ve been FEDA, or maybe NAFEM—one of the speakers made a really salient point about manufacturer competition. “We used to say my equipment competes with your equipment,” or something to that effect, the speaker said. “Now, we say my channel competes with your channel.” That’s a…

NAFEM’s Food Service Equipment Technical Advisory Group has received the 2011 division medal from Canadian Standards Association. The award recognizes a technical committee or technical advisory group for significant contributions made in the development and advancement of safe standards practices, both nationally and internationally. The group is led by Terry Wiseman, chief electrical engineer-gas and…

Luciano Berti, chairman of Ali S.p.A (