One of the reasons I like going to the NRA Show, other than it’s a show at which I get to sleep in my own bed, is it gives me a chance to talk to a lot of folks at all levels of the industry. This is especially important as it’s about this time of…

It’s time for members of the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association to make a little room on their hard drives for the new 2013/14 FEDA Membership Directory. The directory, an invaluable networking resource, is no longer offered in a hard-copy format. The new downloaded version provides all the necessary contact information for every FEDA member. Association…

Louise O’ Sullivan, a name long familiar to the E&S industry, is the cover story and honoree in Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine. O’Sullivan, the founder, president and CEO of Chicago-based Prime Advantage Corp. in Chicago, was named the magazine’s “Pro to Know” of 2013. Prime Advantage is a 16-year-old buying consortium that provides…

During its 27th annual Partnership Conference last month in Bonita Springs, Fla., Supply & Equipment Foodservice Alliance honored nearly three dozen companies and individuals at its awards banquet. The top honor of the night, Member of the Year, went to Action Sales, based in Monterey Park, Calif. Other winners, in specific categories, included: Supplier of…

Thomas Campion has taken the reins as president/CEO of Franke Foodservice Systems. Campion, who succeeds Hans Ott, has 27 years of experience with the Smyrna, Tenn., company; he’s served the last 16 years as president of the KES Americas business unit which provides equipment and services to leading restaurant chains. Ott served as president and…

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…