Dexter Russell President Alan Peppel covers current trends in the kitchen and how the company works with chefs to improve its knives and other products.

​Steve Forbes is chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media, one of the world’s most successful business magazines for more than a century. An internationally recognized expert in global economics and finance and an advocate for businesses, Forbes shared his concerns about the most serious barriers impacting U.S. economic recovery, including inflation’s effect on the current and coming stock market; proposed tax hikes; the impending wave of antitrust actions; and regulatory blunders that are crushing American ingenuity.

​Some of the FES industry’s most successful manufacturers discussed manufacturer and dealer challenges and opportunities related to labor shortages, evolving industry technology, equipment innovation, and a focused on supply chain resiliency through sustainability, visibility and technology

​Dirk Beveridge is the founder of UnleashWD, the premier design, strategy and innovation firm in wholesale distribution. Beveridge shared the insights he gained from traveling across the United States post-COVID to gather data from distributors in a variety of industries. This culmination of insights, called “Unapologetically You,” from his We Supply America tour, asserts that independent distributors can and are competing effectively today and should be recognized as the “Noble Generation” for keeping the nation’s economy, workforce and supply chain going strong despite unfathomable setbacks over the last several years. Beveridge also discussed how dealers can overcome their own false narratives about their industry that keep them from having the confidence to forge ahead in new ways they never thought they could before.

Jason Bader talks with Ben Whitlock, president of Mobile Fixture, about how he got started in the foodservice equipment and supplies industry by cold calling customers and how a background in sports can help individuals become strong salespeople. That competitive drive helped Whitlock and Mobile Fixture overcome the challenges created by Hurricane Katrina and COVID-19 and prepare Whitlock and the company’s executive leadership to take over ownership earlier this year.

Jason Bader chats with Jameel Burkett, CEO of Ohio-based Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies, about joining his family business just as it began to use the internet to reach customers and pivot from a focus on used equipment to affordable equipment for operators across the entire country. As that change occurred, Burkett explains how he developed his own philosophy of leadership over management and instilled a culture where every employee could feel as if they were the CEO of their space and was empowered to make decisions.

Jason Bader chats with the CEO of Grady's Foodservice Equipment & Supplies in Pueblo, CO, about coming home to the family business, creating space for second chances, and the rewards of letting go so others can step up.

Throughout the pandemic, restaurants have received much of the press. But what about the suppliers behind the pizza joints, Thai carry-outs, and doughnut shops? How are the distributors fairing? Well, at least one of them is thriving through tough times. Patricia Bible, owner and CEO of KaTom Restaurant Supply in Kodak, Tennessee, joins Jason to discuss the other side of the hospitality industry. The company’s success is rooted in its dynamic leadership and service-oriented culture.

Few industries have weathered more storms during the pandemic than foodservice. From restaurants to suppliers, the pressure on this vibrant vertical to provide will not ease any time soon. Jason chats with Mason Greene, third-generation president of Hotel & Restaurant Supply, about how he’s fostering responsibility and encouraging innovation amidst challenges.

In this session, FEDA highlights the ghost kitchen model. Dealers can become experts on this new concept and be ready to help operators understand and plan for the new equipment, facility design, and digital tools that will be needed.