// EYE
METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
MAFSI Golf and Awards Dinner
T
here simply are not fiercer competitors in the Metro New York food service industry than the local community of equipment and supply representatives. The daily battle to receive the majority of the orders from a consultant specifying a local project or a dealer entrusted with the purchase of those products in many cases is the food service version of hand-to-hand combat. But somehow when that very same passion rallies behind a common goal, simply put: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER THAN THE LOCAL MAFSI CHAPTER. Once again local reps took a break from their daily battles on the street to honor a trio of industry leaders at their annual golf and industry awards celebration. After two events in New Jersey, this year’s event moved to The Lake Success Golf Club on Long Island. With the move, the group honored one of the ‘Island’s most venerable dealerships: Bar Boy Products as their dealer of the year. The Farmingdale based firm was the brainchild of industry visionary Ed DeFelice Sr. “My dear friend Eddie was one of those truly dedicated professionals, who knew that with hard work, there would be success,” explained Glissen Chemical’s Joe Lehr. EYE was touched by the humility of the brothers Ed Jr. and Leonard DeFelice, who spoke about taking the lessons learned to continue to build on their Dad’s dreams. The duo was surrounded by the next generation of DeFelices who have now entered the business. The golf course certainly proved to be challenging as long Par 4’s kept scores
high. The winning foursome was comprised of: HCH duo of Steve Antonello and Gene Cinoiti and Deli Design’s Rob Delio. Bringing up the rear and the winners of this year’s fishing rods emblematic of finding an alternative for challenged golfers was Fred Klashman of TFS, PBAC’s Michael Posternak, Tony Nicoletti of Sam Tell and Son and H. Weiss’ Jimmy Weiss. MAFSI’s Metro New York Chapter honored Clevenger Frable’s Leif Billings as the reps industry’s Young Lion of the Year. Billings began as a sous chef before joining the White Plains, NY based consulting firm. MAFSI’S Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the recently retired Stephen Tucker. The longtime president of the M. Tucker Co. gave a highly entertaining talk about his love for the industry and the many personalities that he encountered through his career. “The golf and the dinner were a BIG success,” noted the tournament’s cochair Frank Doyle of TD Marketing. “It was a great opportunity for reps and factories to have a great day of golf and to recognize some of the industry’s truly special professionals. Doyle’s golf committee was cochaired by Jon Bowerman of Performance and Pecinka Ferri’s Ed Pecinka and assisted by Jason Butler of BSE Marketing and Mike Klatman of TD. MAFSI is a 65 year-old, professional trade association comprised of 270+ independent sales agencies and 220+ manufacturers of commercial foodservice equipment, supplies, tabletop and furniture. MAFSI reps spend their day calling on
26 • November 2015 • Total Food Service • www.total food.com
(L to R) H. Weiss’ Jimmy Weiss, Joe Maresca of Vulcan and Michael Posternak of PBAC
Brothers Mark and Adam Kaufmann of Kaufmann and Associates
(L to R) Restaurant Depot’s Larry Rosenthal and Jeff Hessel of BSE Marketing
(L to R) Sam Tell and Son’s Daniel Saltzman and Candice Madan of Acme
(L to R) CLV’s Tom O’Halloran and Chip Little
(L to R) Top golf honors went to the HCH duo of Steve Antonello and Gene Cinoiti flanked by Deli Design’s Rob DeLeo
(L to R) Edward DeFelice Jr. spoke passionately about his dad’s legacy as his brother Leonard looked on
all facets of the industry with the purpose of lending their specific product knowledge and experience to the foodservice community. They work directly with the local foodservice dealers and distributors, service agencies, and enduser operators as the product specialist and consultative sales agent. “The MAFSI rep is a specialist that the dealer and consultant rely upon as
Former M. Tucker chief Stephen Tucker spoke glowingly of the contributions of the rep community to the industry.
they execute their work,” added chapter president Frank Doyle. “We support both – we replace neither Representatives who also advocate customer issues with their manufacturers and Dealers to ensure that the operator is receiving exactly what they are demanding.”