There’s so much to tell about the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association’s upcoming annual convention that we’ll have to refer you to the FEDA website for the big picture and all the details. Suffice it to say that Convention Chair Brad Pierce of Restaurant Equipment World and Assistant Chair Mason Greene of Hotel & Restaurant Supply…

Brad Hitchcock has been appointed western regional sales manager for Champion Industries and Bi-Line Conveyors. Hitchcock knows the region well; he previously held the post of v.p.-sales, western region, for Pitco/MagiKitch’n. Before that, Hitchcock was a sales and marketing rep for Preferred Marketing Group, developing dealer/consultant/end-user relationship in the Las Vegas and Southern California markets.…

I know it’s more than three months off, but it’s time for you to make your plans to attend The NAFEM Show in Orlando, Feb. 10-12, 2011. We all know it has been a very difficult couple of years since the last NAFEM Show, but the equipment and supplies market is beginning to improve just…

I love–and hate–metrics, and so should you. On the plus side, measuring something gives you a fact, something concrete. If you’re measuring the right things, you have a shot at good decisions. The trouble with metrics is that you can waste a lot of time measuring the wrong things. And even under the best of…

Foodservice Equipment Reports has announced the winners of its annual Industry Service Awards. The annual awards, presented since 2005, honor those who have made substantial, sustained contributions not just to their own firms and professional associations, but to the E&S industry as a whole. They are presented to a standout in each segment of the…

Generous donations from the equipment and supplies industry and a wide-ranging collaborative effort have helped build a new kitchen for a Houston shelter. Cooking Up Better Lives (formerly known as The Excell Foundation) teamed up with the Houston Food Bank and the Greater Houston Restaurant Association for its inaugural “Better Lives Makeover.” The project encompassed…

In a deal that combines two powerhouse dealer bid houses, Duray/J.F. Duncan Industries has purchased Baring Industries, a Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., subsidiary of Electrolux Professional. Duray is headquartered in Downey, Calif. Duray Pres. Johnny Wong told FER Fortnightly that the two contract E&S dealers will operate as separate brands. Key management at Baring, including company…

The Edlund Co., a leading maker of commercial foodservice equipment and smallwares, has been acquired by Ali Group, joining the Italian company’s large stable of foodservice equipment manufacturers. The acquisition was publicly announced Sept. 30. According to Edlund Pres. Peter Nordell, there will be no visible changes at the company, which will remain based in…

Remagen Foodservice Solutions, a family-owned and operated E&S distributor, celebrated a half-century in business on Oct. 1. The Eaton, Ohio, company was founded in 1961 by Richard H. Tuggle in an 80-sq.-ft. milkhouse at his farm. His son, John, assumed the post of president in 1972. Originally known as St. Clair Supply Co., the firm…

Manitowoc Foodservice has deepened its regional sales coverage with two well-known industry veterans. The manufacturer has added dealer vet Dave Hinton as area v.p.-sales, heading up the sales team in the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, and western Tennessee territory. Hinton joins Manitowoc from his post as president and COO for The Boelter Companies in…