A Day in the Life of a Delivery Crew:

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The Voice of the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association

March/April 2012

A Day in the Life of a Delivery Crew: Challenges, Tricks of the Trade & A Frank Conversation About Industry Training or Lack Thereof

Also in This Issue:

Attacking Redundancy with the System-Driven Organization

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S TORY

Mar ch /Apr il 201 2

F E A T U R E S 18 Is Checking it Twice Costing You Money? How a system-driven philosophy can help you eliminate the redundancy and cut costs

20 You Want to Put a Kitchen Where? In Part II of “Trends in Ventilation,” Foster tackles the issue of handling kitchen exhaust in nontraditional spaces

32 The Safe Warehouse The Big Picture It’s difficult work that could be made easier, says Dixie Store Fixtures President Fred Cypress of life in the field for his six-man delivery crew. And here’s why you should care—with a bit of industry support and training for the other guys in the field, everyone from the manufacturer to the end user will benefit, according to Cypress. He’ll tell you how.

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The correct product placement could mean the difference between a workplace injury and a healthy employee, says Distribution Expert Jason Bader

38 Becoming a Selling Organization Professional Sales Trainer Don Buttrey highlights three action steps that any sales organization can implement to build a sales culture

Mission Control Only 19 percent of employees are able to link their day-to-day tasks to their company’s mission, according to Tom Reilly, the author of Value-Added Selling. "If you run a company, a division, or a department, your No. 1 leadership assignment is to communicate clearly and often your vision, values and mission," he says. "Making money is not a mission. It is a metric."

D EPA RTMENTS 4 President’s Message Everything is Funny When You’re Makin’ Money

6 Industry Insights Why E&S is NOT on the Radar for Most Culinary Students By Executive Chef Melanie Ewalt

8 Association Highlights An Extraordinary Leader Steps in at the Right Time

28 Tech Talk The Broad Basics of SEO

34 Money Matters Making the Future Better

www.feda.com Mar ch /Apr il 201 2 3

The President’s Message Everything’s Funny When You’re Makin’ Money! hat’s an old saying I heard almost ty is that we continue to have an overdaily in my early years in the indus- abundance of capacity and an under try from a wise philosopher and co- whelming amount of available business. worker, Danny Bushong. We worked Fortunately, industry surveys are starttogether in Dayton, Ohio, at a company ing to point toward a slight increase in called General Fixture, which is no sales, even though margins are still longer in business. Danny, on the other squeezed.This is good news; but to realhand, is the president of Bushong ly capitalize on this, it might be a good idea for all of us to Fixtures in Dayton. He invest a little bit into always believed in get- Industry surveys are some sales training to ting paid for ‘what you starting to point toward get our staffs back in do,’and was very good at that mode. It would be making money. He had a slight increase in a change for the better, sales... .This is good the right idea. I think. That said, there Danny also was very news; but to really are many low-cost good at closing a sale, so capitalize on this, it options through FEDA one day I asked him how to spice up your sales he’d honed his skills. He might be a good idea told me about Zig Ziglar for all of us to invest a training program: There are teleconferand said if I listened to little bit into some ences every couple of his cassette tapes, I sales training to get months, primarily saleswould learn the art and related training (like the become a good sales- our staffs back in that one we just had in man, too. I was interest- mode. February on “Creating ed,so Danny“rented”me his tape set. Hey, like I said, Danny Value in the New Economy”). On the FEDA website, there are a mulknew how to make money and I did get titude of other choices as well,including my money’s worth. One of the concepts Ziglar stressed dozens of MP3’s that are sales-training was the importance of selling value, focused (Mastering Sales; Mistakes something it seems is an underutilized Salespeople Make; Skillfully Selling art in the dealer arena today. With all of Distributor Value; Value-added Selling; the tough competition out there chasing Selling Benefits to the Customer).There after a neutered market, the customer is are also other topics that focus on negoin control. It seems that the dialog with tiation and customer service. There are more than 30 product-spethe client often goes more like “…give me the other guy’s price and I will beat cific (not by brand) online training sesit by (pick a number)…” That really isn’t sions that take usually less than 10 minthe way we want to train our customers, utes to complete. Best of all, you don’t even have to pay is it? As FEDA Dealers, part of our role should be bringing the art of selling continued on page 44 back. When I ask other dealers how things are going, many of them say it is a lot better than it was just a couple of years ago, and then qualify it with a “that isn’t necessarily saying much.”Today’s reali-

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4 FEDA New s & View s

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Industry Insights Why E&S is Not on the Radar for Most Culinary Students s an executive chef and faculty aren’t they going into culinary schools member at Kirkwood Community and doing the same thing? If more culiCollege in Cedar Rapids, I spent nary students were exposed to this two years helping to design the Hotel arena, then maybe they wouldn’t have at Kirkwood Center, a new facility tunnel vision and just concentrate on designed to train the future of the hos- restaurants, banquets, etc. It would pitality industry as well as accommo- peak their interest. Right now it’s not at date the public’s housing and dining the top of their list of industry profesneeds. It was an interesting experience, sions but more exposure could broadworking with a barrage of contractors en the possibilities. and adjusting to the twists and turns In the classroom, we talk a lot about that come with such a the different opportunilarge-scale project. I spent I’ve never been ties the foodservice countless hours with our approached by a industry has to offer our equipment reps and foodservice graduates. It’s the second soaked up insights from a largest employer behind equipment distributor the government and the segment of the industry that’s foreign to most of interested in giving a possibilities are endless. my students (a revelation demo or speaking Granted, the work can be I recently pondered). grueling but we love it with our students Our students work because we have a pasabout the functions a sion for it. We have a alongside our professional staff, many of whom distributor sense of accomplishment are graduates, and all of performs in the when someone conwhom have several years channel. sumes or uses our prodin this industry as well as uct.That is what this genvaried experiences. We train them in eration of graduates is looking for.They every aspect of the hospitality industry want to feel appreciated; they want to to prepare them to enter the job mar- feel a sense of accomplishment. ket. Yet, we don’t have many students Also top of mind is financial security, that go out and actually work with food- but many are willing to take less for a service equipment. I really started to job that makes them feel needed and consider this dilemma. Culinarians are rewards them for their accomplishtrained on the very equipment that ments. They need a challenge. They you’re trying to sell.Who better to sell want to meet new people, travel and it? Yet I’ve never been approached by experience new things. They are also a foodservice equipment distributor extremely techno-savvy. They thrive on interested in giving a demo or speak- being social. If you’re not using social ing with our students about the func- media, embrace it. This is another area tions a distributor performs in the where this generation can help. Let channel. On the other hand, we are them connect with your customers, constantly approached by food vendors help with menu items or share product eager to expose our students to their knowledge. Let them chat it up about products and expertise. your dealership on Twitter, Facebook, continued on page 44 Do you have a chef on staff who does demos in your test kitchen? If so, why

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Melanie Ewalt, Executive Chef The Hotel at Kirkwood Center Melanie.Ewalt@Kirkwood.edu

6 FEDA New s & View s

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Association Highlights An Extraordinary Leader Steps in at the Right Time hese past 10 months have been a whirlwind of activity since the unexpected retirement of FEDA President Stephen McGarry. The FEDA Executive Committee reviewed its options and chose to look to Jim Hanson, a recent past FEDA president, to keep FEDA moving forward until the following March of 2012, when the next set of Executive Committee elections would be held. This gave Brad Wasserstrom, FEDA Vice President, the needed time to fully prepare for his own FEDA presidency and administration goals. During the past 10 months, Jim Hanson has served the Association membership as FEDA President with tremendous enthusiasm, energy, wisdom and dedication. The membership and its leadership owe Jim a huge debt of gratitude for his extraordinary contribution at a crucial moment in time when FEDA urgently needed him.The following is a summary of what has been accomplished and initiated during Jim’s 10month return to the FEDA presidency. Under Jim’s leadership and direction, FEDA coordinated the efforts of the major industry associations and buying groups to fund Patti Morrow at IDPC and her efforts to protect your right to do design work. She has kept our members informed on this dangerous and harmful legislation state by state, as well as provided information on who to contact in each state to voice your opinion. Wherever Patti testifies, we tend to win. She has been a significant asset on our side that we just can’t afford to lose. FEDA News & Views magazine is now sent in digital format to the key contact at each FEDA member firm to pass on to their key staff. The bot-

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Ray Herrick Executive Vice President ray@feda.com

8 FEDA New s & View s

tom line is more members and their key staff now have the opportunity to learn from the great dealer-focused articles in News & Views Jim continued to be an advocate for MAP & MRP and the dealer viewpoint in News & Views magazine. With the leadership of Convention Chair Mason Greene and Assistant Chair Joe Schmitt, we have another great convention planned in March 2012. In response to your feedback, we’ve freshened up the Convention format this time with the New Think Tank Session, which will allow for more time to network with more people within the channel. The 2011 Profit Survey had great participation and we are conducting a Compensation Survey in early 2012. Our three yearly teleconference sales training seminars continue to be very popular. FEDA’s Education Foundation awarded 18 dealer scholarships to the University of Industrial Distribution and we began to offer scholarships for ServSafe and CFSP in 2012. Not bad for 10 months! Congratulations Jim and thank you for being an extraordinary FEDA President! K

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A Day in the Life of a

Delivery Crew By Stacy War d, Man agin g Editor fedastacy@ver izon .n et

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here’s a lot of frustrating things that happen to a delivery guy, says Fred Cypress, who now serves as president of Dixie Store Fixtures but spent many a day trying to muscle a 37-inch refrigerator through a 36-inch door. “Back then, we didn’t have cell phones or GPS,” says the third-generation owner,whose father also paid his dues helping the delivery crew. “That was during the early years of Dixie and life out in the field was pretty rough. Sometimes a salesperson would write down the wrong address. Or, you’d get to a location with a loaded truck and no one would be there to pay for it.The door wasn’t big enough to get the continued on page 12

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A Day in the Life continued

product in, or a miscommunication between a salesperson and a customer would become your problem to fix.” When a man labors in another man’s shoes, he either walks away fully enlightened or develops amnesia. Cypress is referred to as “one of us” by his crew, a group of six with nearly 100 years of industry experience and the kind of kinship that comes from laboring to lift a 500-pound convection oven three feet in the air—and investing hours to assemble and then reassemble a piece of equipment because of a sketchy diagram. “Oftentimes a piece of equipment is designed to be assembled in different configurations, so a manufacturer may ship a bag of hardware for several possible configurations,” explains Cypress. “Imagine being pressed for time and having to guess on the sequence for assembly because instructions are not provided. And then realizing, nearing completion,that you must undo some of your work because you guessed the sequence incorrectly. “It’s difficult work that could be made easier if the industry would invest in a little training, but unfortunately a lot of people aren’t aware of the realities of life in the field. I’ve been on dealer councils for a lot of factories. There are rep councils. The service agents have a council but there’s no formalized plan to get feedback from these guys, which is a shame because, in many instances, they’re the last to interface with the customer and their performance, professionalism and attitude can encourage or discourage repeat business.” Yet, there are no workshops, factory visits, webinars or any form of online education dedicated to the functions performed by guys like Abraham, Gary, Tony and Ronard, four of the senior members of Dixie’s crew. More than Just Delivery “Twenty five years is a long time to be in an industry without seeing any kind of interest in providing training for 1 2 FEDA New s & View s

what we do or how ing I’d measured at a we do it,”says a visibly school. I was six inches There are rep brimming Abraham off, so I went back to councils. The Cotton, the elder check my work and the statesman of the customer was ecstatic service agents group. “That’s why about the job—not have a council but I’m so honored that because of what I did. I someone wants to messed up and the guys there’s no hear about what hapcovered for me.” formalized plan to pens behind the scenes. Most people The Supporting Cast get feedback from see us as just guys Then again, that’s the these guys. who deliver equiplevel of service you ment, set up and then expect when you work Fred Cypress of Dixie move on.” with a veteran crew, parBut delivery guy ticularly one with Dixie’s Store Fixtures falls far short of what skill set. Jeremy, the transpires in the field. unofficial newbie of the There’s really not a group, got his start in the name to describe what these guys do, industry 13 years ago at a competitor’s. says Cypress. Long story short, every- He’s certified in refrigeration and one does what’s necessary to get the plumbing and worked with Dixie as a job done— diplomatically explaining to subcontractor for a number of years a customer that the problem is not with prior to joining the team last summer. the functionality of the equipment but He gives the Birmingham-based dealer with how it’s being used (thereby head- the luxury of tackling certain jobs ing off a wasted trip from a service from within, opposed to hiring subs to agent); delivery; uncrating, assembly; make routine connections/repairs, fulfilling an impromptu request to says Cypress. Abraham and Tony, two remove smallwares from old shelving of four crew members with 20 plus before installing new shelving; and years, work in tandem with contract even having a rep’s back. That’s some- department head Sue Cole to execute thing Ferrell Hataway knows firsthand jobs in the field, which make up a 60 to after working closely with the crew for 80 percent chunk of the dealer’s sales a number of years. Hataway, a partner volume. Billy Jones, a trained draftsman, with the rep firm Carman-Girard is the floater; while local Fire Captain Associates, is a longtime friend of Gary Nix, the only part-timer on the Dixie’s. (The bond between rep and crew, specializes in stainless work (cutdealer are uncharacteristically close, ting, welding, grinding and polishing). something that Cypress attributes to He also has more than 20 years investthe equally uncharacteristic level of ed in Dixie, along with veteran truck cooperation that seemingly flows driver Ronard Boglin, whose area of among dealers, consultant, reps and expertise is smallwares. The schools service agents within his market.) love him, says Cypress of Boglin, in part “As reps, we need to talk to everyone because of a steadfast rule to never in the dealership, and particularly the leave the customer without a verbal guys in the field,” says Hataway.“They’re confirmation that Dixie’s fulfilled its problem solvers. I can’t tell you the side of the bargain. number of times we’ve had a shelving “When we get to a school, sometimes layout that didn’t quite fit and one of the they just say drop it off,” says Boglin, guys fixed it. Just the other day, they “but I always ask to speak with the mancalled me to bust my chops about shelvcontinued on page 14

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A Day in the Life continued

ager or the assistant manager and check every item on the list in front of them. When you’ve got anywhere from 100 to 200 items, it takes a little longer but the customer appreciates the effort and it saves us from having to drive 100 miles for four spoons. Because even when you check the order at the warehouse, and you know you have everything on the truck, there’s still a possibility a customer will say they did not receive something. Checking it together erases that possibility.” Abraham has been with Dixie the longest;25 years and eight months.“This type of work is not for everyone; commercial means heavy,” he laughs. “But these guys make the job fun. We’re a tightknit family and we get along well. It’s not about who’s over who, it’s about who has the best information to get the job done in any given situation.” Like most of the guys on the crew, he learned the contract side of the business by shadowing someone with roots in the industry. Retired contract head Dan Swink was the one who taught him how to read blueprints—and how to start a job by locating the kitchen back door on the plans. That’s the starting point, says Abraham. “There’s no school to teach you what it takes to get from A to Z. It starts with the installation of the walkins and hoods.Then we have to wait on the person who installs the flooring. Next comes the U.D. system, which is another part of the hood, followed by the equipment that goes under the hood.The shelving is the last item in the book. From one to 200, the book tells us every item that needs to go into a kitchen. They’re checked off as we put them in, so we know that we put item one in on the ninth month and 12th day.” Something Every Supplier Should Hear What’s not as clear cut is the process of assembly, a part of the job that’s grown significantly for two reasons: the industry’s reliance on imports and its efforts to provide customized solutions. 1 4 FEDA New s & View s

Customization with show us how to properly clear cut instrucput it together and take it Over the years, I've tions is great for the apart. One week they seen equipment get customer but cuscould host Dixie, another tomization without week they could host smaller, bigger... . them often muddies BRESCO. That would cerIt would be nice if the benefits, says tainly help us save time in Cypress. And he, the field. It’s amazing suppliers offered along with the rest how much is wasted trytraining to show us of the crew, can ing to figure out how to pluck a story out get from A to B.” how to properly put of the air to supHow much time could it together and take be recouped if suppliers port the claim— but he won’t. redirected just a fraction it apart. That’s not Cypress’ of funds toward a dealer’s Crew Member Abraham style. Although, he delivery staff? In some Cotton does concede that instances, as much as a it’s all-too-common week-and-a-half, accordto receive product ing to welder Gary Nix, changes and new parts without the who’s often called out to the field to most basic of instructions, like where modify equipment on contract jobs or to place the unattached parts.“There’s fix damaged equipment for customers. no book, no instructions and you That’s how much time he says Dixie lost don’t know where it goes,” he says. on a job a few months ago while trying “You’ve just got to figure it out on your to fix a worst case scenario: stacking a own and it’s often critical to the per- combi oven with special tubing and formance of the equipment [not to brackets. mention costly to the one who’s “They sent directions,” says Nix, “but forced to call the service agent if we couldn’t make heads or tails of it. So there’s a problem].” we had to call the rep, and he didn’t Granted,there are a number of man- know how to put it together. Then we ufacturers that provide steps to con- called the factory technician and he nect the dots—a fact that no one in spent a whole day trying to figure it out. the crew disputes. Even so, they say, By the time we finally got it assembled, more information is needed just to we had already set in place three-fourths keep up with the vast number of of the kitchen.” design changes. Take product manuals for example. If a manufacturer A Win-Win for the Industry does provide one,says Abraham,many Time is one thing but equipment perdo not include equipment dimen- formance is another—something supsions, which ultimately determine pliers should know is also compropoint of entry. And what would be mised, at times, due to a shortage of even more helpful, says the crew, is an information in the field. Case-in-point: assembly class—be it online or in the the aforementioned combi oven,a piece factory—although there’s not a guy at of equipment that was routinely misDixie who wouldn’t love to tour a line handled by crew members until they and actually see where the equip- discovered that turning it on the side that houses the control panel can cause ment they handle is assembled. “Over the years, I’ve seen equip- significant damage, according to ment get smaller, bigger and then Abraham. “We need some kind of pamsmaller again,”says Abraham.“It would phlet or flier that gives us more specifics be nice if suppliers offered training to continued on page 16

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A Day in the Life continued

about how to handle the equipment,”he says. “A lot of these things we had to learn on our own and damaged equipment along the way.” In Cypress’ eyes, that’s a powerful incentive for change. Although, it’s important to note that he doesn’t believe that change should be just the supplier’s burden to bear. Instead, it

should come from distributors,and even the architects that specify the 36-inch doors that rarely accommodate commercial equipment and often result in delays. “Door size is key in this industry,” says Abraham.“That’s where we lose most of our time…either taking off doors or taking apart equipment.”

Something Every Dealer Salesperson Should Try Most salespeople aren’t aware of the challenges involved in getting a piece of equipment off the truck and into a customer’s kitchen, says Dixie’s President Fred Cypress, who thinks that dealer sales reps should observe the process, at least once, to broaden their appreciation for what really goes on in the field. “Knowing the answers to the questions below—before a job starts—will not only make for a more efficient process, it also will help both salespeople and delivery staff better serve the customer,” he says. Did you follow the route the equipment must travel and identify the narrowest passage and any “tight” turns that must be negotiated along the route? “A few weeks ago I was doing a job and I didn’t have a problem getting the equipment through the first door; it was a double door,” says Abraham Cotton, one of six veteran crew members on Dixie’s delivery team. “But what I didn’t know was that there were three other doors standing between me and the kitchen. We didn’t have dimensions for any of those and all of them had to be removed.” • Is there any equipment (or other obstacles) blocking the path to the setup location? • Will existing equipment be removed (or disconnected) prior to the delivery of new equipment? • Are all of the proper utility connections in place before the delivery? “There have been instances where a customer orders a gas range and you get there and he doesn’t have a gas connection,” says crew member Ronard Boglin. “Sometimes we have to bring the equipment back to the warehouse and swap it out. There have also been instances when the electrical outlet is not close enough to plug the equipment in, so someone has to either rearrange the equipment or put in a new outlet.” • Was the delivery time established and reconfirmed before the delivery? • Will the equipment need to be transported up or down stairs? • Was the original equipment installed during construction (before walls were completed)? • Did you sell all of the necessary accessories (e.g., gas hoses, faucets)? • Was the customer contact information confirmed? 1 6 FEDA New s & View s

In a perfect world, architects would factor in commercial equipment in their designs, but guys like Abraham, Gary and Ronard aren’t holding their breath. But they can dream, anyone can dream. Daring to dream, Gary would like engineers to consider designing larger equipment that comes in smaller, modular parts. Cypress, on the other hand, would simply like to start with a conversation, one he hopes will result in industrywide recognition for people like the guys on his team. “Our crew has an outstanding attitude and people skills,” he says. “They are able to establish a rapport with general contractors and other trades people. They understand how most equipment operates and occasionally diffuse potential misuse issues by supplementing fast-paced “serial” demonstrations that were not internalized by the end users.They are an asset to our industry and worth the investment in training. “Should manufacturers help train them? I don’t think manufacturers are responsible for training our people but we cannot teach what we do not know. There are benefits to be had all around—for the end user, the manufacturer’s rep, the service agent, etc. The end user will get the product faster;they can’t afford the downtime when our guys can’t get it through the door or the equipment arrives with freight damage and they have to wait for a replacement. (That’s where it pays to have a good shipping manager like Reggie Nabors. He’s very good at catching concealed damage.) “The reps want to be out selling, not troubleshooting problems; all they have is their time. Service agents don’t want to fight with others about who’s going to pay them because someone else did something wrong. The dealer doesn’t get paid until it works; the manufacturer’s name is on the product, and when it doesn’t work it hurts the brand.” K

Is “Checking it Twice” Costing You Money? A System-Driven Concept Can Help You Eliminate the Redundancies & Slim Your Bottom Line By Glen Julian o, Pr esiden t TRX In tegr ation , In c. glen .julian o@tr x i.com y definition, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is insanity. Yet many organizations do it on a daily basis, justifying it as a way of controlling costs. Does this sound familiar? A customer order is checked for accuracy, margin, and credit by sales management before entering it into the system.The purchasing agent reviews the order for accuracy, margin, and credit before placing a PO. The shipping department checks for credit clearance before shipping and then the invoice is reviewed for accuracy and margin before sending it to the customer. Finally, the vendor check will not get paid until the signer sees an invoice already sent to a customer or backup for a stock purchase. If two or more of these sound familiar, duplication of effort is costing you money. Even so, some argue that too many controls still costs less than no controls at all. In fact, I know of dozens of companies following two or more of the procedures above right now. The real question is “how can dealerships keep controlled results and cut costs at the same time?” The answer is in the concept of a system-driven organization, a process that helps a company do things right the first time while delivering

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continued on page 42

How to Tell if You are Not a System-Driven Organization If your organization catches mistakes only after shipping and invoicing, you are probably not a system-driven organization, according to Juliano. Also, if you are constantly reacting to negative customer feedback from incorrect orders, pricing or product, as opposed to proactively seeking ways to serve them better, you are probably not a system-driven organization. Finally, if it takes longer than 30 days to collect non-contract receivables, you are not (but should be) a system-driven organization.

1 8 FEDA New s & View s

Foster Frable You Want to Put a Kitchen Where? In Part II of “Trends in Ventilation,” Foster tackles the issue of handling kitchen exhaust in nontraditional spaces

itchen exhaust generates grease, smoke and odor. If a site has not had a commercial kitchen previously, one of the challenges can be finding alternate means to manage the exhaust—keeping in mind the landlord, neighbors and local codes. This can be especially difficult in urban locations and mixed-use buildings that combine residential and commercial spaces. Even if there is a route for the grease duct to exhaust to the building roof, occupants on the top floor are not interested in smelling kitchen exhaust every day. And with the trend toward using rooftops for recreation or commercial space, exhaust issues are multiplied. Fortunately, difficult ventilation challenges don’t have to mean abandoning a project location. There are proven solutions for the real dilemmas facing foodservice operators. Although at first glance some of these alternatives may seem somewhat costly, realistic planning in the earliest stages of a project can mean ultimate cost savings.This article will focus on the different types of pollution control systems, how they work, and the costs and installation issues associated with each of them.

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The Challenges of Cleaning and Deodorizing Kitchen Exhaust The key to the effectiveness of any kitchen exhaust system is the grease extraction efficiency of the primary hood filtration, which occurs well before the pollution control device. Filters vary widely in their effectiveness at collecting the material coming from the cooking surface in different particle size ranges. While none of the grease hood filters are effective at the submicron level representing smoke and odor, UV and water wash-type hoods improve the efficiency of the overall hood system 20 FEDA New s & View s

and help capture some smoke and odor as part of removing the grease. Pollution Control Unit (PCU) or Ecology systems come in different types and use different methods to collect nearly all of the remaining grease,smoke and odor. It’s important to understand the strength of a system is in its proper sizing for the type and volume of cooking that will be produced. A very small compact kitchen that produces breakfast, lunch and dinner in a busy restaurant can have the same pieces of equipment on the same size cooking line as a spacious church kitchen with low production, but obviously their pollution control needs are quite different. It’s also important to note that using a solid fuel device like a wood grill or pizza oven really challenges pollution control systems. First, solid fuel devices make effluent even when you’re not cooking. This means that pollution control for a solid fuel application is even more challenging than just the increase in effluent from smoke and soot. Since most codes require separate exhaust systems for solid fuel and conventional

Figure 1

cooking, two separate pollution control systems would likely be required. The Science Behind Smoke Control After grease removal, the next step in pollution control is to capture smoke and related particles. There are two main types of smoke control, Electrostatic Precipitation (ESP) and Multi-stage filters (see Diagram 1). ESP (often referred to as scrubbers, precipitators) uses a two-stage method to collect particles. In Stage 1, the airstream passes over a high-voltage source, 10,000 volts or more, to ionize or charge the particles, typically with a positive charge.Then the particles pass continued on page 22

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Foster continued

between two plates, typically three-eighths to three-fourths apart with one plate grounded and one plate charged positively.The positively charged particle is pushed away from the positively charged plate and attracted to a negatively, or grounded plate. These devices are very effective as long as they are cleaned regularly. Most have automatic wash systems. However, since the wash down produces grease laden waste, a grease trap is usually required by code. A supply of hot water in volume, detergent supply tank and dosing system is also required.The ESP control panel, detergent dispenser and the grease trap need to be factored into the space requirements for a complete system. In addition to automatic cleaning, another benefit of ESP systems is that they have a very low-pressure drop and can be used with solid fuel cooking like wood-fired pizza ovens or grills. The benefits of having a lower-pressure drop (0.15” vs. up to 3.75”) for a multi-stage filter unit means smaller fan motors and less fan energy. When an ESP becomes clogged, its ability to abate smoke and odor suffers, but the fan will continue to exhaust, avoiding kitchen shut downs. Optimal performance requires routine maintenance. Even with automatic cleaning, the ESP still requires manual cleaning on a periodic basis, depending on the cooking volume and type. It’s best to contract an outside service company to perform this task to keep the system run-

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22 FEDA New s & View s

Figure 2

ning at peak performance. It’s also important to provide full access to all parts of the ESP system for routine service and parts/replacement repair.Too often ESP systems are installed above drop ceilings or over walk-in coolers where access is challenging and service is hard to perform. A system that is out of sight and can’t be monitored by management is less likely to receive the necessary maintenance—and when it does, it costs more money. Multi-Stage Filtration (Bag Filter) These devices (see Diagram 2) use a series of increasingly fine filters to collect the material in the exhaust. The first stage is a two-inch or four-inch pleated filter, the second stage is a deep bag filter, and the final stage is either a HEPA or a 95 percent DOP filter @ 0.3 microns. On the positive side, these filters are simple and lower in initial cost, and there is no support equipment required, such as detergent dispensing, grease traps, or hot water supplies. However, the negative is the high-pressure drop (up to 3.75”) of the filters (bigger fan motors and more fan energy), coupled with the fact that as the filters load up, they will reduce the air flow through the system. These devices typically have sensors to indicate at the control panel when the filter needs to be changed. If the filters aren’t replaced in some of these systems,the entire exhaust system will shut down and the kitchen will be out of service.This leads to three other big negatives in using multi-stage filters for heavy-cooking applications (vs. ESP systems): • The cost of the filter replacements can be quite high and continues through the life of the project. • A frequent need to change the filters often requires building a catwalk or a grating around the unit or locating it on a floor slab in a dedicated room or space. • Bag filters and the high-efficiency final filters are not commonly stocked like furnace filters or replacement water filters. If you run out of replacement filters on a Friday evening, it’s possible you may be shut down for an entire weekend. Lastly, maintaining adequate backup filter stock adds to space requirements and becomes another operating cost for the system. Considering these and other issues, it often makes sense to continued on page 24

Thank you!

We are honored to receive such extensive recognition from an industry that we hold in very high regard. If it weren’t for our valued dealer partners, these achievements would simply not have been possible. We will continue to work hard to earn your respect through innovation and delivery of the quality products and services you’ve come to expect from Alto-Shaam.

Proudly serving you and your customers,

Steve Maahs President, Alto-Shaam

800-558-8744

|

262-251-3800 | www.alto-shaam.com

Foster continued

spend more for the ESP unit and save the operating costs over time, particularly for an operation signing a five- or 10-year lease or building out a restaurant in a privately owned building. Solutions for Odor Control The largest source of complaints with commercial kitchen exhaust is not typically smoke, it’s cooking odor. Odor is made up of Reactive Organic Gases (ROG’s) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s). These cannot be collected by mechanical means but need to be remediated with different technologies, such as the following: • Gas Phase Adsorption: This is done with activated carbon beds or potassium permanganate or a blend of the two. These materials are granulized and filled into trays or compressed into what is called a bonderized material, which prevents the possibility of the

tunneling of air through granularized pellets. • Odor Control Spray: This is the process of injecting a finely atomized mist to absorb odors.This method is not very effective and can be quite costly at consumption rates of 0.15 gallons per hour during the operation of the hood. • Ozone /UV in the hoods: While using a UV hood that produces ozone will reduce the cost of maintaining the carbon of the odor control section, it does not help the potassium permanganate. The Ozone/UV will help reduce the cost of maintaining the ESP section and will reduce duct-cleaning costs. Consult with the hood manufacturer to model your specific situation before heading down the UV path. In this author’s experience,UV alone will never be effective at odor control—even though it is presented as such in marketing materials.

Another Innovation from

When evaluating and designing a PCU, it’s important to understand the real need for odor control and the risk of not providing the odor module. Odor control systems are usually separate modules or sections added to either ESP or bag filter systems. So if adequate space is planned into the design, the odor module can be added when required. Local code requirements for a PCU are usually based on capturing grease and smoke, not odor, which is a more subjective concern. Mandates for odor control typically come into play when odors from the exhaust plume could impact public areas, such as roof bars, pool and recreational spaces, or nearby structures with operable windows and/or balconies. Lastly, odor issues are much more critical with restaurants using lots of garlic, onions and spices. In the end, factoring these specifics into the design process will result in a continued on page 26

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Foster continued

savings in time and money. The Bottom Line Costs vary substantially from the purchase price of a system and the operating costs, so it would be prudent to have the system manufacturer provide the estimated cost of operation as well as the initial cost of the equipment to create value proposition. The following graph shows the relative cost difference for the various PCU options based on cooking load.

PCU type

Cooking duty Light Medium

Heavy

Extra Heavy

ESP cost of operation

Moderate

Moderate Moderate High

ESP purchase price

Moderate

High

High

Very High

Multi-stage filtration Low

Moderate High

Not recommended

Multi-stage filtration Low purchase price

Low

NA

Low

A ballpark estimate for a 100-seat restaurant with 20-24 feet of cooking line could cost $50,000 for a multi-stage filter system and $75,000 for ESP system. Adding odor control modules can add an additional $25,000 to either option.You also

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have the option of mixing systems or omitting PCU on hoods with little or no grease or particulates like those over steam kettles, bake ovens, etc. Each method has its pluses and minuses and directly relates to the cost of the systems purchased as well as their intended use, but generally, the more money spent upfront the lower the operating cost (which favors the ESP). However,if your customer has only two years left on their lease, but is forced to implement some type of system, multi-stage (bag filters) are definitely the way to go. Occasionally, you may find projects where there’s a marginal value in installing a PCU system, with or without odor control. In this scenario, the system isn’t required by local code or lease, but the building owner or foodservice operator is concerned about future complaints or challenges. Perhaps a new residential building may be built on an empty lot, or the menu may change to more aromatic offerings. My suggestion in these situations is to provide a ductwork “plug� that will allow a future PCU to be installed without major rework of the existing block iron duct or routing. Or, a basic PCU can be installed and a “plug� provided for a future odor control module. If possible an electrical service or conduit should be installed, along with a drain and water line for a self cleaning system. Who Supplies the PCU System? While chain restaurants often assign the grease exhaust hood, duct and fan to the mechanical or HVAC contractor in private and public projects, the kitchen ventilation, CKV, is in the foodservice equipment contract. The exhaust ducts and fans are in the mechanical contract. Depending on how it is specified, the PCU system could effectively be claimed by either the foodservice equipment contractor or general contractor. Major grease hood manufacturers either offer PCU’s as part of their standard catalog offerings or partner with vendors who provide compatible systems. These vendors can design and specify a completely integrated system and assume full responsibility from the hood through the PCU. Only the ductwork and utility services need to be provided by the general contractor or the mechanical contractor. If there was a change in the hood or cooking equipment, the size or configuration of the PCU would be adjusted as well. Linking them to a single contract would be similar to packaging a remote refrigeration rack with the coolers and freezers it supports. A Few Final Thoughts When faced with a difficult kitchen exhaust condition, it’s best to consult with skilled professionals to determine the best solution for the site’s specific challenges.Take into account the expected performance of the system in regards to smoke only or smoke and odor and to what level. If the site is going to discharge the exhaust duct over the front door of the restaurant, it will need to be able to manage the smoke and odor to a very high degree. If it’s discharging into an alley with no air intakes or open windows, the lowest initial cost may be the best solution, as it is not a highly visible site and will likely be ignored. continued on page 40

26 FEDA New s & View s

Tech Talk The (Broad) Basics of

Looking to improve your search engine ranking? Use the tips below to get started. By David Lim on , Mission Restaur an t Supply Ecom m er ce Man ager davidl@m ission r s.com he madness to achieve a high ranking in any search engine continues to escalate as search engines grow smarter and smarter,and the methods to stay on top work to follow suit. Add to the mix ever-evolving trends like social media, videos, link building, shopping comparison feeds, Rich Snippets, etc., and it’s easy to see why companies routinely struggle to keep their websites relevant. Fortunately, in the midst of the storm,lies a solid structure that’s helped many websites withstand the turbulent shifts of change:good old-fashioned SEO (search engine optimization). I’ve been an advocate of basic SEO ever since I first learned HTML and for good reason. Neither Google’s Pandora updates nor any other major algorithm updates have ever negatively affected Mission’s rankings over the years. What is good old-fashioned SEO? It depends on the expert. An SEO firm will rattle off a list of key ranking factors like keywords, optimized content, and creating backlinks, while webmasters point to sitemaps, clean code and optimizing for page speed as game changers. And the key for marketers include customer retention, a call to action and color schemes that convert. The truth is they’re all right. In order to set a suc-

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28 FEDA New s & View s

SEO SEO SEO cessful SEO campaign in motion, you will need the workings of a webmaster (to handle the technical aspects), a marketer (for a different perspective on reaching your customer) and an SEO firm (to manage your SEO plan). Below is a compressed list of SEO items from all three professions in one.

The Building Blocks of SEO Since we are gathering data from three professions to cover the basics of SEO, there will be a lot to cover and will require ample time to set up and even more time to manage.The list may look intimidating, but the return will justify your hard work. To simplify things, I’ve separated the basics into three blocks: Technical Optimization, On-Site Optimization and Off-Site Optimization. Now let’s break it down even further and define every process required for a successful SEO campaign, along with the processes involved in continuing to run it smoothly. Technical Optimization Properly optimizing your website should begin with the technical block, which covers steps involved in ensuring your website is well structured and optimized for search engine indexing. This section is where your webmaster will have the opportunity to shine. If a search engine has trouble indexing your pages,on-site and off-site optimization is pointless. Here are the basic steps that

should be included in technical optimization: .htaccess File - Make sure your nonwww domain points to your www domain. XML Sitemap – Make sure you have an XML sitemap located at the root folder of your domain. Robots.txt File – Make sure you have a robots.txt file located at the root folder of your domain. Also, be sure to include a link to your XML sitemap in your robots.txt file. Clean Code – Make sure there is no broken or unused code on your site. This can slow your site down. Site Speed – Don’t use excessive code that can bog down your website. Every millisecond counts. Clear Navigation – Have a clear navigation structure. Search Engine Friendly Links – If your shopping cart system does not include this automatically, you can fix this in your .htaccess file. While you are at it,be sure to include keywords in your links. On-Site Optimization Now that search engines can properly navigate your website, the next step is to tell them what each page is about. Block 2, on-site optimization, is the art of first identifying key factors on a web page used by search engines to rank a page, then adding the right content to continued on page 30

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Tech Talk continued

the page in the right areas and in the right manner. Since no one truly knows all the algorithms of any search engine, SEO professionals will focus on factors they have identified. With this knowledge, an SEO firm will analyze your website and then provide you with optimized content and suggestions for

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improving your website. This is where a marketer’s insights can be helpful in ensuring that the focus is on humans—and not just search engines. You may also need the help of your webmaster to implement some of the SEO firm’s technical recommendations as well. Fortunately, you will not need to make changes on a regular basis, so the assistance of your webmaster and

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30 FEDA New s & View s26 FEDA New s & View s

marketer should be minimal. Here are some of the basic steps covered in onsite optimization: Title Tag – The title tag tells search engines what your page is about. Description Tag – The description tag gives search engines a little more information on what the page is about. Keyword Tag – The keyword tag is pretty much obsolete due to the misuse of it in the early years. However, I believe you should continue to add keywords to the keyword tag for the few search engines that do use it. Even if it does not generate much traffic, free traffic is always a plus. Quality Content – You may have heard the phrase “content is king.” That is because quality content is weighted highly in a search engine’s algorithm. Avoid Duplicate Content – Be sure to create unique content for every page of your website. H1 Tag – Your H1 tag defines the most important heading on the page.You can include subheadings on your page using more <H> tags (up to H6). Bold/Italic – Including bold or italicized text on your page is another way of notifying search engines that this is important content on the page. Internal Cross Linking – Linking one of your pages to another is a great way to allow bots to index deeper pages of your site and pass on some of the weight of importance. Anchor Text – Anchor text is the clickable text in a link. You always want to make sure your anchor text is a keyword that describes the page your customer is being directed to once clicked. Keywords – Using keywords on your website several times lets bots know this list of words (or term) is relevant to this page. Do not overuse your keywords or it may look like spam to search engines. Fresh Content – Do not let your content become stale or outdated. Just as customers want to see current content, so do search engines. Off-Site Optimization Unlike Block 2, Block 3 requires lots of attention and time. Off-site optimization is the practice of creating traffic to your website yourself. Writing

Google views each link to your site from another site as a vote for your website. The more votes, the more important your website must be. quality content on other websites is good practice to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack as a leader in your field while branding your company. Of course along with providing the public with content they can use, you want to add links within your content to your website (known as link building or backlinks). This is extremely important because backlinks are known to be a major factor in Google’s algorithm for ranking you higher in their SERPS (search engine results pages). Google views each link to your site from another site as a vote for your website. The more votes, the more important your website must be. Off-site optimization will require assistance from all professionals—an SEO professional and marketer for their writing abilities and a webmaster for creating HTML code for backlinks. It’s important your writings provide useful information to keep people clicking through to your website. Here are some of the basic steps covered in off-site optimization: Link Building – A link from another website to yours is like a vote for you; the more votes the better. Links to your website are also weighted highly in search engine algorithms. Social Media – Stay actively engaged in social media. A buzz about your website can grab Google’s attention. Blogs – Use a blog to build a community by offering an added service while creating links to your website. Guest Blogger – Be a guest blogger on other websites to show you are a leader in your industry while building backlinks. Product Feed –Create feeds of your products and submit them to comparison shopping engines. Directories – Submit your website to directories. Directories offer another link to your website and provide customers another way to reach you. And there you have it, an overview of basic SEO in a compressed format. Again, if the list looks a little intimidating, don’t worry. As long as you have

the right people working on your website, they will know how to put the blocks together. Setup Is Done. What Next? Remember, once all the pieces are set in place, it is important that you stay active in driving traffic to your website (off-site optimization) and continue to update content on your website (on-site optimization). Search engines prefer to keep active websites with fresh content and current information higher in their search engine results pages (SERPS) because that’s what your customers want. There are a lot of resources available online to help you learn more about SEO and, believe it or not, even Google offers advice on SEO. As secretive as it is about its algorithms, Google does offer a lot of guidance on what you can do to run a successful website. It also has a tendency to drop subtle hints here and there; you just need to know what to listen out for.The list below includes great sources for learning more about SEO. Google Webmaster Tools: http://support.google.com/webmaster s/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291 SEOMOZ: http://www.seomoz.org/beginnersguide-to-seo Google Knol: http://knol.google.com/k/seo-basics# (Google is discontinuing their Knol program so read this quickly)! Search Engine Land: http://searchengineland.com/guide/wh at-is-seo Search Engine Starter Guide by Google (PDF Document - A little dated but it has a lot of great information): http://static.googleusercontent.com/ex ternal_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.g oogle.com/en/us/webmasters/docs/sea rch-engine-optimization-starterguide.pdf K

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The Safe Warehouse: Paying Attention to Product Placement By Jason Bader, Pr in cipal Th e Distr ibution Team Jason @Distr ibution team .com

s many of you know, I have been teaching a one-day warehouse management class around the country for the last few years. What I love about teaching is the fact that I can continue my education through the comments and suggestions given by the participants. My favorite definition of humility is to always remain teachable

A

32 FEDA New s & View s

and I am truly humbled by all the great ideas passed on to me by the students. During this course, we spend a fair amount of time discussing safe working practices. There are all kinds of injuries that occur in the warehouse, anything from the dreaded paper cut to the occasional severed digit. What most folks don’t hear much about are the frequent

sprains, strains and muscle pulls that can seriously hobble your star performers. What I’ve found, through the help of my student practitioners, is that most of these injuries are due to product placement. Where we place products in the warehouse can either reduce or enhance the number of workplace injuries. The course book that I teach from makes the suggestion that employees in the warehouse should warm up and stretch before they start the day. I often have the amusing vision of workplace calisthenics popularized in mid-80s Asian factories. Can you imagine your crew breaking out a Richard Simmons video before the shift? Amusing, but probably not going to happen.The simple fact is that we do not condition our folks to prepare for the rigors of the day. Since we are not going to start our day with a yoga pause, perhaps we can change the environment our people work in. Take some time to observe how your people handle products in the warehouse. In particular, start paying attention to what they have to do in

order to pull products from the shelf. You will often observe people pulling heavy product from a height greater than 6 feet off the ground. Conversely, you will see people lifting heavy objects from shelves or floor space lower than 2 feet off the ground. Both of these situations contribute to workplace injury. The problem is compounded when these items are considered high-hit or high-pick. If you want to reduce this type of injury, start by considering the weight of your products. Items or packages greater than 40 pounds should be shelved in the strike zone. For those of you who may not be picking up on my baseball analogy, I want you to think about storing heavy pick products between your shoulders and your knees. As a secondary thought, consider the popularity of the products picked. Would you want your highest picked products to be stored on the bottom

shelf? Sounds like a recipe for a sore back to me. High frequency picks, either above or below the strike zone, are going to take a toll on your team. Beyond the injury prevention benefit, placing high-pick items on the middle shelves will speed up the picking process and make your team more efficient. I hate mezzanines. Ok, I don’t really hate them, but they are a huge contributor to workplace injuries.The problem usually centers around the type of product that is placed on a mezzanine.When I ask students this question, several of them suggest that they store lightweight product up there. I kind of see the logic, but let’s be realistic here. Most industrial mezzanines could handle a full size Humvee, so a pallet of pipe fittings would probably be ok. Other students mentioned that they quarantine higherpriced products there. Again, not a bad strategy unless you consider that most loss due to theft is from internal means.

The problem with both of these scenarios has to do with product popularity or hits. Either of these criteria for residence in the lofty heights could force your pickers to frequently climb and descend the staircase. I am not as concerned with the climbing aspect, but I am very concerned with coming down. Imagine what a picker looks like when they descend the stairs with an arm load of product. What happens to their vision? Let’s just say that their ability to see the lower stairs is impaired. I think you can see where this is headed. If you have a mezzanine, you might want to consider storing products that are infrequently picked. Think in terms of items that have fewer than 10 annual hits per year. If you’ve done a “hits” analysis, you may be in for a bit of a shock. Let’s just say that the residents of the second floor will have plenty of company. For those of you who prefer to use the continued on page 41

Mar ch /Apr il 201 2 33

Money Matters Making the Future Better By Dr. Alber t D. Bates Pr esiden t, Pr ofit Plan n in g Gr oup ost firms have put the bleeding of the recession behind them. While profitability is still not back to desirable levels, things are clearly improving. The operative phrase in most instances is“cautiously optimistic.” If sales, margin and expenses follow the pattern of previous recessions, most firms will be okay by the end of the year. The typical FEDA member will be far removed from the massive challenges of the past two years. On the other hand, they may be equally far removed from optimal profitability. The challenge is that in the euphoria of getting back to “good” many firms will miss the opportunity to make it all the way to great. Based upon that challenge, this report will examine two issues that are important add-ons to financial planning for 2012:

M

• Business as Usual—A projection of financial performance in the industry based upon a combination of past

results and current trends. • Making the Future Better—An examination of how the key factors that influence profitability can be leveraged for improved results. Business as Usual The first column of numbers in Exhibit 1 provides a projection of overall financial results for the typical FEDA member in 2011. Clearly, there is a lot of 2011 left and a lot of uncertainty still in the economy. However, it is possible to make a reasonable assumption about how the year will end up given 1) current sales trends and 2) an analysis of performance following previous recessions. As can be seen, the typical firm is anticipated to have sales of around $12,000,000 at a gross margin of 25 percent. This should produce a pre-tax profit of $240,000, or 2 percent of sales. This is adequate, but not outstanding

performance. This means the profit results for the typical firm are expected to look a lot like they did before the recession hit. The reality, though, is that the prerecession numbers were somewhat unexciting. Certainly, they are better than the depressed results seen during the depths of the recession. However, they do not represent the profitability that firms deserve. It can be argued that the long-term profit results for FEDA members are in something of a rut. Actual results rise and fall in tandem with economic conditions. However, across the business cycle, results always revert back to the norm. That norm has been in place for an agonizingly long time. Interestingly, profit levels have remained somewhat constant despite the fact that firms in all industries, including FEDA, have become more sophisticated. For example, 20 years continued on page 36

Exhibit 1 The Impact on Profit of Greater Control of the CPV's (Critical Profit Variables) For the Typical FEDA Member Income Statement Projected Results Net Sales $12,000,000 Cost of Goods Sold $9,000,000 Gross Margin 3,000,000 Payroll and FringeBenefits 1,800,000 All Other Expenses 960,000 Total Expenses 2,760,000 Profit Before Taxes $240,000 Increase in Profit—%

34 FEDA New s & View s

Margin Control $12,060,000 $9,000,000 3,060,000 1,800,000 960,000 2,760,000 $300,000 25.0%

Payroll Control $12,000,000 $9,000,000 3,000,000 1,764,000 960,000 2,724,000 276,000 15.0%

Both Margin and Payroll $12,060,000 $9,000,000 3,060,000 1,764,000 960,000 2,724,000 $336,000 40.0%

Mar ch /Apr il 201 2 35

Money Matters continued

ago most inventory control systems were run on index cards. Today, most firms have sophisticated inventory management systems. Increased sophistication has not lead to better results for one reason. Firms continue to make the same mistakes at the same exact points in the business cycle over and over. This is not a criticism of management. Instead, it is an inevitable aspect of human behavior. However, improving profitability— now or at any other point in time—must involve overcoming those normal behavioral tendencies. Management must overcome the pressures that lead to business as usual. Making the Future Better The remainder of Exhibit 1 examines how the firm could produce even more profit in 2011 by better managing the Critical Profit Variables (CPVs). These are the factors that have the most power to drive profit in the firm. The three most important are sales, gross margin and expenses. Every firm is already managing the CPVs as effectively as they can, of course. The reality is that in the recovery phase of the economic cycle, firms look at the CPVs in a very different light than they do in the down phase of the cycle. This change in perspective limits the profit potential associated with

recovery. As markets stabilize following a sharp recession, two things inevitably occur. First, expenses demonstrate a relentless tendency to increase. More infrastructure is needed, employees need wage increases to “catch up” and the like. Second, pricing challenges arise. This is because the excitement inherent in sales increases automatically reduces the attention paid to pricing that is essential for desired profit performance. It is important to note that these pressures have already been accounted for in the first column of numbers in the exhibit. That is, the exhibit assumes that human beings will continue to act as human beings. Not so much a failing as a reality of life. The remaining columns examine the impact of maintaining greater diligence in the face of the sheer relief that the recession has ended. The two areas of focus explored in the exhibit are pricing and employee compensation. In both areas, a 2 percent improvement factor is used. The 2 percent figure is not arbitrary. The better-performing firms across a wide range of industries tend to do about 2 percent better than the typical firm each year. The 2 percent differences add up to a dramatic improvement in overall profitability. Pricing remains the Achilles heel of every recovery. As sales rise due to improving economic conditions, there is a natural ten-

dency to want to recover sales volume at an even faster pace. This invariably leads to a diminished level of price monitoring. In the Margin Control column in Exhibit 1, the firm generates 2 percent more gross margin dollars. The cost of goods remains constant, so the entire 2 percent increase is the result of improved pricing. The net effect is that profit increases by 25 percent. The Payroll Control column reflects the human tendency toward fairness. When sales growth returns, the pressures on payroll become enormous. Employees naturally want a share of the good times just as they shared in the pain of the down market. If the payroll increase can be moderated so that it is 2 percent less than might otherwise occur, profit would increase by 15 percent. Sharing is fine, controlled sharing is much better. The real payoff, of course, comes from doing both things simultaneously. The final column of numbers demonstrates how the firm would look if both gross margin and payroll were controlled more systematically. The 40 percent improvement changes the entire profit profile of the firm. Moving Forward After a brutal economic recession, there is a tendency to dramatically under perform compared to the potencontinued on page 41

A Managerial Sidebar: Setting a Profit Goal Probably the oldest concept in all of financial planning is that small changes in the Critical Profit Variables (CPVs) cause profit to increase. Despite the fact that the concept is ancient, it is often overlooked in a period of economic recovery. The following chart indicates how much dollar profit would be increased for the typical FEDA member if each of the following four items were increased by one percent. That is, if prices were increased by one percent, items were purchased at a cost that was one percent lower and the like. The figures provide some useful insights into how firms can use these small improvements to make profits even greater than they would be otherwise. 36 FEDA New s & View s

Area of One Percent Improvement

Pricing Buying Net Sales Payroll Expense

Percentage Increase Dollar Profits 47.7 % 37.5 % 10.2% 7.5%

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Becoming a

Selling Organization By Don Buttr ey, Sales Pr ofession al Tr ain in g, In c don buttr ey@salespr ofession altr ain in g.com othing happens until somebody sells something.” With that simple statement, Red Motley made clear the importance of the sales function to any organization. As a distributor in the supply channel, the importance is even more acute. Selling is your lifeblood.The selling function is a significant part of your activities. Oh yes, operations, service and technical support are essential, but today’s FEDA distributor or manufacturer must be a “selling machine,” where everyone who serves the customer directly or indirectly delivers and communicates (sells) value.When this thinking permeates your culture, it assures

“N

38 FEDA New s & View s

growth and profitability.What I have just described is a true“selling organization.” Leaders: creating a team where everyone sells and has a selling mindset will not happen by accident.You must do it on purpose. If you tell people to do the right things and your system tells them otherwise, the system will win every time. This article will highlight three things you can start immediately to indoctrinate this culture into your system: 1) Teach everyone to sell; 2) Sell the house; 3) Standardize your selling process. Teach Everyone to Sell This part of the transformation starts at the top, as you might have expected. First and foremost, the dealer principle

and top management must be selling experts—not that they are out in the field closing deals (although they may have key involvement in some accounts.) Yet they must possess sharpened selling skills in order to sell ideas, expectations, tools, systems, etc., to the entire team. Sell, not tell! They must also have a clear understanding of value and benefit selling in order to present, market and perpetuate the required factors that differentiate you from the rest of the competition. Only leaders that understand the strategic and tactical requirements of successful selling can direct, inspire, coach and motivate a true selling organization. Visible, enthusiastic support of any selling-skills training is a must.

Sales managers must also sell. They must become brilliant in their contribution to joint calls—not to“take over”but to be a model of professional selling skill. As a coach, they reinforce the disciplines of professional selling and raise the bar of expectations. It is strongly suggested that sales managers participate in any selling-skills training. The purpose of this is not to just monitor and observe, but to be an active participant as each salesperson practices and refines their execution. Of course, frontline salespeople must be masters of selling. Selling is their profession. Each one should strive to become a Sales Professional! Product knowledge, application expertise, people skills, benefit selling, communication skill, strategic account planning, and pre-call planning are just a few of the many skills and tools they must execute skillfully to get consistent results. Intensive selling-skill training for these professionals is a given. These are the “highly trained field agents” of a successful selling organization that take

proactive action and start the engine. And please don’t forget that service technicians, customer service, installation, and all sales support must also be trained in selling skills. Granted, selling is not their primary job duty. Yet they are interacting daily with customers and dealing with the tough issues. They encounter an astounding amount of opportunities to reinforce value, secure jeopardized business, penetrate and expand accounts, discover hidden opportunities, pass leads, add-on sell and build relationships. Great selling organizations provide these key players with more than just technical knowhow or specific job skills.They leverage their integral involvement with customers by adding core selling skills to their regimen of training. With proper sales training,they can learn to sell spontaneously and appropriately. Sell ‘The House’ We don’t just sell product anymore. Product and brand will not sell itself.We have to ‘sell the house.’ That is one thing

the competition does not have—your differentiator. Why should customers choose you and do business with you? Every person in your organization should know that answer. This awareness should season everything you do and be on the tip of every tongue. If you do not know that answer, who does? When you consider the question “what do we sell?” you can help define that answer by documenting company factors and value-added services of your company. Company factors are advantages, minute distinctions and attractive characteristics that you offer. Don’t get hung up on the word, unique. Some competitors may claim the same or similar factors. Company factors are simply what you look like as a company. How many branches you have,expertise in certain markets,years in business,key people, inventory, size, location, stability, certified mechanics, customer base, and lines represented are all examples of company factors. Value-added services continued on page 40

Mar ch /Apr il 201 2 39

Becoming a Selling continued

are what you do for your customers before, during and after the sale. These services support your offerings and enhance the perceived value. Examples might be inventory management, part usage reports, financing services, safety training seminars,etc. I suggest you workshop these two lists as a team and publish the results internally. Make sure everyone knows and believes in ‘who you are’ and ‘what you do’.You may even want to prioritize this list and document the top things that clearly set you apart from the rest of your competitors. Standardize Your Selling Process So how do we take this corporate selling mindset to the street? This has to be more than a ‘value’ campaign or hype. We must make sure that all contacts and experiences we have with our customers result in a perceived value—one for which they are willing to pay a premium price.This will not happen by accident. Banners, literature and websites will only create visual consistency in your marketing and image. Each and every person, in every customer interaction, must sell that value and communicate it effectively. The best way to facilitate this is with a standardized selling process, or a framework to help each person who interacts with the customer prepare and execute the effective selling of your value.We recommend a standard tool that we call the SELL process, which stands for START, EVALUATE,

LEVERAGE and LOCK. Outside sales professionals can use this outline to pre-call plan for each call (SELL offense). Sales support can use this same outline to react better in spontaneous selling situations and the same SELL process can be used to build a framework to prepare for objections and respond to them properly (SELL defense). When we train sales professionals and sales support,we use this simple, yet profound process, to prepare, practice and perfect selling skill. Each step is studied,understood and practiced. For example, every person who deals with complaints or objections from customers can benefit from intense learning on how to answer objections. The team can even document proven answers and practice delivery and methodology of responding. By standardizing the tool and terminology used for selling your value every day, you can fulfill the first challenge we discussed—teach everyone to sell. Becoming a selling organization is not really complicated but it is decisive. The pieces are all there: your people, your products, your operations. It is really a matter of reconnecting those pieces to transform into a selling machine. Teach everyone to sell. Sell the house. Standardize your selling process. Remember the line of children’s toys called Transformers? A robot, with its existing parts, could become a race car or some other machine with a few decisive moves. Make the three decisive moves we just discussed and make the transformation from dealer to SELLING MACHINE! K

Foster continued

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40 FEDA New s & View s

Once those factors are determined, develop a cost model to include initial costs as well as the operational costs,and make a decision based on what is best for the site’s conditions. Air quality has been and will continue to be a major hot button in the United States and around the world. Whether concerns are under or overestimated, foodservice pollution control takes on a special meaning because it’s not only about volatile contaminants like grease and smoke, but the most offensive and distasteful of all—odor. Thanks to scientific laboratory technology, foodservice operators and equipment suppliers have several innovative alternatives to resolve many difficult ventilation quagmires. Whether you need to purify and redirect exhaust, or recycle air back into the production area, the problem exists in more foodservice operations than ever before. Increased population density and a desire for cleaner air will continue to drive regulatory agencies’ restrictions. As a result, we are seeing more commercial kitchens implementing some type of pollution control as an adjunct to traditional exhaust systems. Whatever your reasons for considering pollution control systems, remember the reliability and effectiveness of these systems vary heavily on matching the capacity of the system with your operations current and future volume, so don’t underestimate! When properly used, they provide an operator with an opportunity to add or expand into great locations that were previously considered impossible due to the lack of legally exhausted grease and cooking odors. K

The Safe Warehouse continued

vertical space above your normal primary picking bins, I think you have made a wise decision. Be careful not to allow this high storage space to become a primary picking location. Creating high primary-pick locations subjects warehouse employees to the same risks as frequent mezzanine travel.The use of rolling aircraft ladders is great as long as their use is fairly infrequent. At least it is better than the pallet rack scaling activities of our youth. Don’t look so innocent—we all did it. Making use of vertical space is just good utilization of the available footprint. I rarely meet a warehouse manager who complains about having too much space.There are several pieces of equipment, lift cages and high order pickers that are designed to facilitate elevated operations. Would they be a good fit in your warehouse? Will they fit in your budget? Only you can answer those questions. I am just asking you to

Money Matters continued

consider the safety implications of product placement. K About the Author: Jason Bader is the managing partner of The Distribution Team, a firm that specializes in helping distributors become more profitable through operating efficiencies. The first 20 years of his career were spent working in distributor operations. Today, he is a regular speaker at industry events and spends much of his time working with individual distribution companies. For more information, call (503) 282-2333 or contact him by email at Jason@Distributionteam.com. Also visit The Distribution Team’s website at www.thedistributionteam.com.

tial profit that could be generated. There are two serious challenges that must be overcome. First, the firm should think in terms of producing a strong profit increase rather than accepting any improvement as being good enough. Second, the firm must be on guard for the factors that eat up the profit improvement that comes with higher sales. The firm must be especially mindful of ill-conceived expense increases and price reductions. K About the Author: Dr. Albert D. Bates is founder and president of Profit Planning Group, a distribution research firm headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. ©2011 Profit Planning Group. FEDA has unlimited duplication rights for this manuscript. Further, members may duplicate this report for their internal use in any way desired. Duplication by any other organization in any manner is strictly prohibited.

Mar ch /Apr il 201 2 41

Is “Checking it Twice” continued

unparalleled customer service. But before I get into the specifics, let’s explore how intended efficiencies in the system get derailed. Clearly, taking care of the customer by adding value to their restaurant or chain is a key ingredient to your success. Transparent to any niche, the focus is always on serving the customer, even if it means throwing in a few value-adds at no charge (which explains how growing dealerships often lose sight of the rising costs of delivering their niche value). Ultimately, this leads to eroding margins, tighter cash flow, leveraging the line of credit and paying higher interest charges. It also answers the question “How did we make less money with higher sales and similar margins?” Operationally, what worked at $3 million in annual sales starts breaking down at the $6-million mark and is flat out unsustainable at $10 million. There are similar plateau effects at $20 million,

A system-driven organization is a management plan that divides the business into functional areas, such as Sales, Purchasing, Inventory Control, Contract and Design and Service. $50 million and $100 million. At any level, applying the same principals of a system-driven organization can help your bottom line. So, now is good time for the definition. A system-driven organization is a management plan that divides the business into functional areas such as Sales, Purchasing, Inventory Control, Contract and Design and Service.Then, each of these areas is broken down into subsections, where structure, ownership and management control points are laid out. Okay, it sounds like an organizational chart, but it’s actually more of a 3-D organizational chart on steroids when you factor in control points, a series of filters—either people or software-driven—that ensure data integrity of critical path data, such as sales orders, purchase orders, checks, etc. Note the word“ensure,”which eliminates the need for backtracking once

data passes through a control point. The Burkett Experiment: A Lesson in Trust & Controls When you start by eliminating duplicate processes through unbreakable control points, magic starts to happen. Higher volume with no additional staff, improved cash flow through better management of special orders and improved customer service through more accurate orders all add to the bottom line by reducing hidden costs. As much as I would like to say this is all about software, it’s not. Sure it helps the process if your software is designed with this in mind, but it’s really a management philosophy with a bent toward leveraging people and technology to maximize control points. Take Burkett Restaurant Equipment in Toledo, Ohio, for example. A strong pro-

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42 FEDA New s & View s

ponent of the system-driven philosophy, it has experienced 400 percent growth over five years in what is effectively a suburb of Detroit. Considering the economy the last five years, most owners had a better shot at winning the Powerball lottery than 400 percent growth. How did they sustain this extraordinary growth without imploding or breaking apart from the G-Forces? The answer is in young, talented management that looked to technology to fill the gaps instead of fallible human control points. Everyone had to trust the system and execute their jobs flawlessly without worrying that the last functional area fell short on the job (much like the assembly lines in Detroit). Prior to embracing the concept, sales orders could be entered, purchased and shipped without credit checks or money down.This violated a major control point at the start of the process and happened more frequently with every exponential growth year. Most issues were caught just prior to shipping, but if the special order product was purchased and cash flow was diminished, it was too late to stop the margin erosion. Now, if a sales order is entered without proper credit or down payment, there’s a technological barrier in place to prevent it from being processed and pushed down the line for purchasing, shipping and invoicing. It’s also important to note that the only way to remove the barrier is with a clearance from management. The end result has been efficiencies down the entire line. Instead of checking credit worthiness before a special order, purchasing can now concentrate on consolidating orders and maximizing free freight and discounts; and shipping can follow the paperwork, in lieu of its own credit backtracking. If a pick ticket prints, it ships. Finally, invoicing is now a clerical function and senior staffers no longer have to scour every invoice. (If they need to get involved, it’s at the beginning of the process when something can be done about it.) This is one of the clearest examples of how a correctly positioned control point can free up management’s time and make “exception handling” truly “exceptions.” It’s all about doing more with less and giving management the opportunity to actually manage, not hiring another expert who can draft, sell, purchase, install and manage cash flow.

of the staff (not including executive management).Timing can vary greatly from company to company, plan on two to three months to frame the big picture and a never-ending quest for better detailed results from there. If you want to attempt the process without a third-party, look for the low-hanging fruit to get fast results and management buy-in. Start by mapping out the functional areas and the respective subsection process flows as you or the management team sees them. For example, the Sales functional area can be broken down into Floor Sales, Distribution Sales, Contract Sales and Sales Support. Even if you need one person in more than one box, it is best to divide the area accordingly. Next, conduct interviews of non-management staff in each of the areas to compare where they see things. In the interviews, try asking the staff what someone (not in their department) could do to make their job easier. You might be shocked at what you find out. Once the map is complete, look for the top five control points that impact cross-functional areas like the Burkett example, which simplified sales, accounting, purchasing and shipping. Next, decide how to implement the control point through people, technology or a combination of both. Repeat this process until no more fruit can be found and then plan on another review in six to 12 months. Starting with the biggest, easiest to implement control point will garner faster results and continued on page 44

Embracing the Concept How do you transform your company into a system-driven organization? The first step is an impartial evaluation of the current situation in your company. If possible, use a thirdparty with no skin in the game to assess your baseline.Then, decide how you want the customer to perceive your organization and work backwards from there. You would be amazed how helpful your current employees can be with examples of what can be done in the process (before it gets to them) to save time, money and look good for the customer. You had better have some thick skin, though, because what doesn’t get blamed on the salespeople defaults to management/ownership. It’s much like reverse engineering your own business as long as the interviewer is not a direct or indirect supervisor Mar ch /Apr il 201 2 43

President’s Message continued

to rent them from Danny! They are included in your FEDA membership. I’m going to leave it at that. This is incoming FEDA President Brad Wasserstrom’s issue to deal with now. I just thought I’d leave you with something to mull over. I want to thank everyone for allowing me to serve you again as FEDA President over the last 10 months. It has been a huge honor and, frankly with Ray and his attentive staff, it has been a true pleasure. I’d also like to thank the FEDA board and excom for volunteering their time, energy and creative ideas. To the dealers and manufacturers who have emailed me or called me (or called me out) about my articles and industry issues, thank you so much for your direction and insight. In addition, for supporting our efforts with Patti Morrow, the founder and executive director of the Interior Designer Protection Council (IDPC), I would like to say THANKS to the other industry trade associations (NAFEM, MAFSI, FCSI) and their leadership, as well as all of the major buying groups (PRIDE, NexGen, CPG, IFED, ABC, SEFA, NAFED).Your financial support is crucial in helping Patti speak out against the practices of the American Society of Interior Design (ASID). Now I hand it over to you Brad, knowing that our industry is in good hands with your leadership.Thank you all again, it has been my pleasure to serve you. Hopefully the economy will continue to improve, as will sales, and we will hear a lot more laughter in our future. Like Danny used to say, “Everything is funny when you’re makin’ money….” I wish you all the BEST! K Industry Insights continued

Yelp, or whatever it may be. They live for this stuff! Want to attract more youth in your industry, start by showing them that you’re interested in what they have to offer. Open up your showrooms and get involved with your local high schools and colleges. K

Is “Checking it Twice” continued

embolden your management team to find even more. Always remember that two steps forward and one step back is still forward progress. Keeping the status quo in this dynamic market will be harmful or fatal if swallowed. Interest rates are at an all-time low right now, but how will your profitability look when they hit 5 percent, 10 percent, 15 percent and beyond. If you plan to pass the company to the kids, or sell it before interest rates go up, keep in mind you still have the holidays with the kids or the devaluation hit you take for carrying debt during due diligence. No matter what your current situation, size or unique focus, making your enterprise a system-driven organization will only strengthen the company’s profitability, value and long-term viability. K 44 FEDA New s & View s

FEDA’s Supporters FEDA appreciates the following advertisers for their support in FEDA News and Views and more importantly your commitment to the FEDA membership and dealer-based distribution. Your support is recognized by all FEDA dealers and we value the industry partnership we share. Jim Hanson, FEDA President ADVERTISER

AGENCY

AllPoints Foodservice Parts ---& Supplies www.AllPoints FPS.com

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CONTACT PERSON &/OR E-MAIL ADDRESS

ADVERTISER InterMetro Industries www.metro.com

AGENCY

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Creative Oxgen, LLC

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American Metalcraft www.amnow.com.

Ladd Communications

Belly Band

American Panel Corp www.americanpanel.com

Maslow, Lumia Bartorillo Adv.

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Molded Fiber Glass Tray Papa www.mfgtray.com Advertising

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Bettcher Industries www.bettcher.com

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Newgistics Freight Services ---www.newgisticsfreightservices.com

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Beverage-Air www.beverage-air.com

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Prime Advantage www.primeadvantage.com

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DCA/DCPR

17

Robot Coupe www.robotcoupeusa.com

Wilson-Saylor-Ware Inc.

24

Aspen Advertising

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Salvajor www.salvajor.com

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Smith & Jones

2

Service Ideas www.serviceideas.com

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Dormont Mfg. www.dormont.com

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Thermo-Kool www.thermokool.com

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Eagle Group www.eaglegrp.com

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Thunderbird Food Machinery ---www.thunderbirdfm.com

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Equipex www.equipex.com

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Update-International www.update-international.com

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FEDA Education Foundation www.feda.com

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Victorinox www.swissarmy.com

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FMP www.fmponline.com

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Marriner Marketing Communications

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G.E.T. Enterprises, LLC. www.get-melamine.com

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Globe Food Equipment www.globeslicers.com

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Hatco Corporation www.hatcocorpl.com

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5

Hobart Corp./Traulsen www.hobartcorp.com

GyroHSR LLC

13

In-Sink-Erator www.insinkerator.com

Marketing Support Inc.

11

Alto-Shaam www.alto-shaam.com

Champion Industries www.championindustries.com Comstock-Castle www.castlestove.com Dexter-Russell, Inc. www.dexter-russell.com

Libbey Foodservice www.libbey.com Manitowoc Foodservice www.mtwfusa.com

sales@dexter-russell.com

Irina Mirsky-Zayas imz@equipex.com

Vulcan-Hart wwwvulcanequipment.com Wood Stone Corp. www.woodstone-corp.com

Tom Grams Shellye Tyler styler@hatcocorp.com tgrams@hatcocorp.com

CONTACT PERSON &/OR E-MAIL ADDRESS

Greg Wait – sales@salvajor.com

Teri Brewer sales@thermokool.com

Sales Dept. info@woodstone.net

Remarkable social media content and great sales copy are pretty much the same--plain spoken words designed to focus on the needs of the reader, listener or viewer. Brian Clark, The Founder of CopyBlogger

Mar ch /Apr il 201 2 45

Education Foundation Download & Learn FEDA's Podcast section offers more than 40 titles for your inhouse training needs, including the 12-part series The Four Pillars of The Sales Professionals by Sales Trainer Don Buttrey. Topics covered range from Time Management to Territory Managment. For a complete list of titles, visit feda.com and select the Member's Only Link. For more information, visit feda.com or e-mail Amy Risinger at Amy@feda.com

FEDA OFFICERS President Jim Hanson Best Restaurant Equipment & Design, Inc. Vice President Brad Wasserstrom The Wasserstrom Co. Treasurer Brad Pierce Restaurant Equipment World Secretary Joe Schmitt Rapids Wholesale Equipment Board Chairperson Kimberley Gill Rimsza, CFSP TriMark Gill Marketing, Inc. Executive Vice President Raymond W. Herrick

46 FEDA New s & View s

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Greg Alack Alack Refrigeration Darren Anderson PrimeSource Foodservice Eqpt. Jim Bedard Buffalo Hotel Supply Co. Don Clarke Boxer Northwest Co. Walne Donald Mobile Fixture & Equipment Co. Charlie Fusari TriMark Economy Rest. Fixtures Brent Gulbas National Restaurant Supply Carl Gustafson Ace Mart Restaurant Supply

Volume 82 Number 2 March/April 2012

FEDA NEWS & VIEWS (ISSN0746-9675) is published bi-monthly by FEDA Service Corp., 2250 Point Blvd, Suite 200 Elgin, IL 60123. Web site: www.feda.com E-mail: feda@feda.com Subscription is $15 (members), $160 (nonmembers), per year. FEDA members receive this magazine as part of their dues. Periodicals Postage paid at Elgin, IL 60123 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: P l e a s e s e n d a d dress changes to FEDA News & Views, 2250 Point Blvd, Suite 200 Elgin, IL 60123 Association phone number: (224) 293-6500. This is the official publication of the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association and carries news and announcements concerning FEDA. The Association and the FEDA Service Corporation are not responsible for contents or opinions other than those relating to association activities. FEDA SC reserves the right to not accept advertising or other written material that it considers inappropriate or offensive.

Jerry Hyman TriMark USA, Inc. Jack Lewis Mission Restaurant Supply Richard Manias Dine Company Scott Miller State Restaurant Equipment Marty Monnat Strategic Equipment & Supply Paul Parr Hockenbergs Jay Ringelheim Globe Equipment Co.

FEDA NEWS & VIEWS Ray Herrick, Publisher/Editor in Chief, Executive Vice President; Stacy Ward, Managing Editor; Adela Ramos, Advertising Manager; Rosie Montanez, Circulation Manager Amy Risinger, CAE Member Services Consultant/ Risinger Resource Group Graphic Design provided by Joseph A. Bowlby Graphic Design LTD. Copyright 2012, FEDA Service Corp.

For nearly 65 years we’ve been stuck in the kitchen. Not any more.

Eagle Group has partnered with American Creative Solutions to give you the same outstanding results for the front of the house millwork and fabrication as you’ve come to expect from us for the back of the house. All with one point of contact – from design consultation to exacting fabrication to on-time installation nationwide. Beautiful! IMAGE PROVIDED COURTESY OF VISIONBUILDERS & DESIGN

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Bring More To The Table

Angled Fry Cups

Order Your 2012 Catalogs Today! Call 800.333.9133 or visit www.amnow.com

A variation of our stainless steel fry cups, these cups feature an angled edge in both the brushed stainless and hammered stainless finishes.

Mini Stainless Steel Pails

Great for tastings or side servings, their mirrored stainless steel finish fits in any setting from casual to elegant.

Ribbed & Hammered Sauce Cups These little cups have so many potential uses!

Aluminum Serving Trays

American Metalcraft’s pie pans perform double duty as serving plates and trays for sandwiches, burgers, drinks and more.

www.amnow.com Taco Holders

Manufactured in a brushed stainless steel, these taco holders make great presentations. Invert each one to add another serving slot option. They’re versatile!

Stainless Steel Balti Dish

A beautiful mirror finish on this server reflects nicely on whatever food it contains. Pretty handles make transport easy, too.

Scan to view a video on table presentation ideas.

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2012 New Product Introductions Melamine Faux Slate Platters

The rich, dark textured surface of these platters makes them look just like slate. Their true beauty lies in the fact that they are really melamine - light, durable, and virtually indestructible.

Wavy Porcelain Trays

Pristine porcelain and wavy design lines create the “WOW Factor” here! Generously proportioned, three different sizes can be used individually or together for a stunning triple effect.

Dual Beverage Server

Double your serving options with this dual dispenser. Polycarbonate body features an ice container insert in each of the 2 beverage chambers. Stainless steel frame and grated base as well as quality faucets are also incorporated into the design.

Oval Wine Bucket & Stand

This hammered stainless steel bucket fits twin wine or champagne bottles. Use the bucket on a tabletop or pair it with the stand for a perfect fit.

American Metalcraft • 800.333.9133 • www.amnow.com

oduct Introductions

Menu Holders

Crystal menu holders feature black or brown trim with stainless steel corners. Available in 2, 4 or 6 pages.

Square Fry Cone Holders & ne porcelain and wavy design lines create the “WOW Cardboard ” here! Generously proportioned, three different sizes can Cones ed individually or together for a stunning triple effect.

Wavy Porcelain Trays

rver

s with rbonate ner insert hambers. rated base re also n.

Oval Wine Bucket & Stand

This hammered stainless steel bucket fits twin wine or champagne bottles. Use the bucket on a tabletop or pair it with the stand for a perfect fit.

2012 New P

Deluxe Pizza Stones

Perfect for small restaurants & bars. Ideal where hearth baking is not possible. Keeps pizzas warm Faux Slate inMelamine heated display cases. Made of Platters Cordierite; a no lead fire brick Thematerial. rich, dark textured surface of FDA approved for oven these them look use.platters Perfectmakes thickness and porosity justforlike slate. Their true beauty heat retention. lies in the fact that they are Aluminum really melamine Peel Handle - light, durable, Insulators and virtually Available in 2 indestructible. sizes, these insulators slide easily onto metal handles to protect hands from heat.

P F b

Square cardboard cones feature a fold-out pocket for sauces or condiments.

Dual Beverage

Mini Cast Iron Fondue Pot & Stand

This little pot will melt your heart…and anything else you choose to serve in it. It’s perfect for small appetizer presentations. Use the pot separately for individual servings of soup.

• 800.333.9133 • www.amnow.com

Rectangular Double your serving op this dual Trays dispenser. P Bamboo Square body features an Serve sandwiches in ice the c in each of the 2 bevera Melamine Platters smallest size. Arrange Stainless steel frame The simple lines of these buffet finger foods in the a as well as quality square platters make them medium size. Displayfauc incorporated intointhe d appropriate for serving so bagels and muffins many things. Unleash your the largest size. Your imagination for any number serving options are of breakfast, lunch, dinner endless with these or side items. versatile trays.

American Metalcra

Affordable

& stylish!

Stretch your budget with G.E.T.’s beautiful Creative Table series! Available in many designs and colors, the Creative Table series offers great options that won't break the bank. Crafted from breakresistant, dishwasher safe melamine, this collection of tempting dinnerware proves that affordable can also be stylish!

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MARDI GRAS II TM Commercial Dishwasher Safe | BreakResistant Melamine

NSF®

MIX  Mix of 4 Mardi GrasTM colors FG

TY

PB RO

OP-612-MIX

DP-906-MIX

6.5" Round Plate, 4 dz./case

DP-909-MIX

9" Round Plate, 2 dz./case

DP-910-MIX

10" Round Plate, 2 dz./case

OP-610-MIX

DN-904-MIX

DN-902-MIX

DN-904-MIX

5 oz. (5 oz. rim-full) Bowl, 4.75" dia., 1" deep, 4 dz./case

DN-902-MIX

13 oz. (13.7 oz. rim-full) Bowl, 5.75" dia., 2" deep, 4 dz./case

• Quick drying • Strong stain resistance • Perfect for any setting

OP-610-MIX

10" x 6.75" Oval Platter, 2 dz./case

OP-612-MIX

11.75" x 8.25" Oval Platter, 2 dz./case

BARCELONA II TM Commercial Dishwasher Safe | BreakResistant Melamine

NSF®

DP-910-BA

DN-904-BA

5 oz. (5 oz. rim-full) Bowl 4.75" dia., 1" deep, 4 dz./case

DN-902-BA

13 oz. (13.7 oz. rim-full) Bowl 5.75" dia., 2" deep, 4 dz./case

DP-909-BA

DP-906-BA

6.5" Round Plate, 4 dz./case

DP-909-BA

9" Round Plate, 2 dz./case

DP-910-BA

10" Round Plate, 2 dz./case

DN-902-BA OP-612-BA

DN-904-BA

OP-610-BA

OP-610-BA

10" x 6.75" Oval Platter, 2 dz./case

OP-612-BA

11.75" x 8.25" Oval Platter, 2 dz./case

Commercial Dishwasher Safe | BreakResistant Melamine

NSF®

CHEXERS II TM

DP-909-X

DP-909-X

9" Round Plate, 2 dz./case DN-902-X

DN-902-X

13 oz. (13.7 oz. rim-full) Bowl, 5.75" dia., 2" deep, 4 dz./case

ASCOT TM DP-906-AT

6.5" Round Plate, 4 dz./case

DP-909-AT

9" Round Plate, 2 dz./case

DP-909-AT

DP-906-AT

DN-904-AT

5 oz. (5 oz. rim-full) Bowl, 4.75" dia., 1" deep, 4 dz./case

DN-902-AT

13 oz. (13.7 oz. rim-full) Bowl, 5.75" dia., 2" deep, 4 dz./case

DN-904-AT

DN-902-AT

Download 2011-2012 G.E.T.’s Catalog! http://ow.ly/8ksyx

Quality is our First Name; Excellent Service is our Priority! G.E.T. Enterprises, LLC • www.get-melamine.com • Tel: 713.467.9394 • Fax: 713.467.9396

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