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.

The product glossary serves as the starting point for using the information on the FEDA Data Repository. This session, led by Infoverity’s Joe Leithauser and Norman Mackay, will teach participants how to understand all the attributes available for a product – from pricing and shipping weight to what kind of door it uses – and how to input those attributes in compliance with FEDA’s new data governance standards. Manufacturers will also practice reconciling their existing product database to more easily upload information to the repository.

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.

Digital marketing technologies have become more integrated in organizations and sales teams over the past few years but the onset of the pandemic has made tools such as artificial intelligence and customer relationship management essential components to maintaining and growing a business. This Young Industry Leaders Open Forum discuss how young professional are using digital marketing tools in their positions and to help their organizations heighten their sales strategies.

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 digital-forward environment, young professionals are well-positioned to make their mark. The Young Industry Leaders Open Forum discusses how young professional can make themselves essential to their organizations and how they can move their career forward during these uncertain times.

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.

This four-course series helps dealers become solutions providers and develop the foresight necessary to anticipate demand and future needs.