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Restaurant Daily News 5 7 Tuesday, May 21, 2019 Norbec Offers Slip Resistant NextGrip Floor An interview with Jason Giuliani, Vice President of Sales, Norbec. RDN: Tell our readers about Norbec. JG: As a leading cold room manufactur- ing in the foodservice industry for more than 35 years, Norbec offers custom cold rooms to meet any project specifications. Norbec walk-ins are manufactured according to exact specifications to ensure the highest quality, performance and space optimization for all types of projects, no matter the complexity. RDN: What differentiates your product offering on the market? JG: Product flexibility. Multiple config- urations of cold rooms are available for our customers such as coolers, freezers, combos, refrigerated or dry storage. Furthermore, Norbec solutions are tai- lored to your needs and ensure the high- est quality, performance and space opti- mization. Also, we offer unparalleled customer support. Norbec prides itself on being a trusted partner for all types of projects in a variety of sectors, including supermar- kets, convenience stores, restaurants, food processing plants, refrigerated warehouses, hospitals and research centers. Our goal is to ensure your complete satisfaction and help you achieve your project goals. RDN: What's new at Norbec? JG: Foodservice industry workers rely on a safe and enjoyable work environ- ment. Kitchen and cold room floors, when subjected to unsanitary conditions, poor cleaning or frost, can be very slip- pery and potentially dangerous. Norbec is proud to present NextGrip, a new slip resistant floor. The NextGrip floor is characterized by an enhanced adherence, improved security measures as well as being sta- ble for heavy loads, durable and much more. This new embossed floor by Norbec, in compari- son to the traditional diamond tread plate, has superior properties creating a more optimal and secure working envi- ronment for its users. RDN: Will you be showcasing the NextGrip floor at the NRA Show? JG: Yes. Visit us at booth #5457 to dis- cover and try this new slip-resistant floor, and find out how Norbec solutions can enhance the value of your projects. Visit Norbec at booth #5457. For more information, go to www.norbec.com. Montague Offers Excalibur UDC Plug-and-Play Island Suite To prepare the dishes today's diners crave, foodservice operations need to stay competitive and select equipment that provides flexibility, quality and reli- ability. The Montague Company has delivered on all counts with the introduc- tion of its new Excalibur™ UDC Plug- and-Play Island Suite. This multitalented, front-of-the- house performer lets busy operations effortlessly replace or reposition equip- ment to suit menu changes, seasonal dishes, and shifts in their growing busi- ness, while enhancing communications between cooks through its versatile unobstructed design. It works perfectly with all of Montague's batteries, demo counters and island suite configura- tions. Modular utility distribution, config- urable utility connections and innovative features ensure that this Excalibur Suite can empower a chef's creativity while providing the exceptional return on investment that has made Montague famous. Common gas, electrical and water lines simplify installation, cleaning and maintenance. Smart utility distribu- tion eases strain on appliances. Quarter- turn shut-off valves add convenience, and mounted eye bolts facilitate uncluttered cabling. Plus, this new suite is the only one of its kind to offer whole-suite UL listing and NSF approval. There's a GFCI for 15- and 20-amp service with straight- blade receptacles, along with many other electrical features that add value and safety. Just as important, the "bones" of the Excalibur UDC Plug-and- Play Island Suite are pure Montague. Born of 150 years of foodservice equip- ment design and manufac- turing expertise, it's proudly made in the USA using heavy-gauge stainless steel metal construction. From ranges to ovens, fryers and more, Montague has been dedicated to bringing the world premium-quality cooking equipment since 1857. Visit The Montague Company at booth #2209. For more information, call 800.345.1830 or go to www.montague company.com. Innovative Packaging from Lacerta An interview with Ali Lotfi, President and co-Owner, Lacerta Group, Inc. RDN: Tell our readers about Lacerta. AL: We are a family-owned business, started over 25 years ago. We manufac- ture thermoformed packaging with a focus on food and custom packaging. We have three facilities: one in Massachusetts with design, mold-making and thermoforming capabilities, we just added California with thermoforming capabilities and one in Mexico with ther- moforming and injection molding capa- bilities. RDN: Tell our readers about the facility in California. Any other expansions? AL: We're really excited to be opening up a facility on the West Coast. We bought seven machines and moved them to a building with 100,000 square feet, allow- ing extra space for inventory and whatever comes next. California offers an opportu- nity to reach more food companies and expand our reach for our customers. We are constantly adding new equip- ment to keep up with demand to maintain our speed to market, cost competitive- ness and flexibility. Our Massachusetts campus has been very busy; in 2018 we added five new thermoformers, including a high-speed dedicated K-Cup line for high barrier, polypropylene recyclable cups. We also added another PET extru- sion line, a cup sleeving line and an addi- tional 45,000 square feet. 2019 is also going to be a big year for us, adding four more thermoformers, a labeling line and an additional K-Cup line. RDN: What would you say makes your business unique? AL: Our ability to help our cus- tomers get to market much faster than our competitors, with a lower capital investment. Customers are often surprised at how quickly we can get their product to shelves. Customer service is core to our culture. Our flexibility and ease of doing business makes us unique. Our customers can be dependent on us. We go to extremes to get things done for them and will do whatever we can if possible. RDN: Are you introducing any new products this season? AL: Yes, a lot of new tamper evident containers from our Fresh n' Sealed line. We are focused on unique containers with sleek lines. We have added more snacking containers, handheld multi- compartment packages and smaller sizes for a quick snack. We're also adding salad containers and ready meal packages that can be microwaved. RDN: What products do you see as being hottest this year? AL: Prepared food options. We think our ultra-clear microwavable tamper evident contain- ers are the perfect fit. Food security offers peace of mind with improved clarity. Customers trust and enjoy being able to see the product. A con- tainer should enhance the customer's experience and show off the product. We also see grab-and-go containers to continue to grow. Snacking is very popular and with everyone's busy schedules, convenience is key. For more information, visit booth #10539, go to www.lacerta.com, call 508.339.3312 or email sales@lacerta.com. Rudy Marchesi of Montinore Estate Named "Wine Person of the Year" Rudy Marchesi, Partner at Montinore Estate, has been recognized by Oregon Wine Press as "Wine Person of the Year." The annual award recognizes people across the state who have helped trans- form Oregon's wine industry and is pub- lished in the Oregon Wine Almanac at the end of each year. A leader in biodynamic ® viticulture, Marchesi has been recognized for his dedication to biodynamic farming and his contributions to biodynamic wine education, both locally and globally. With more than 12 years of experience in biodynamic winemaking, Marchesi has shown that biodynamic agriculture does- n't have to be reserved for small farmers, but can also be done on a larger scale. Today, with its 200-acre Demeter-certi- fied biodynamic estate vineyard, Montinore Estate is the largest producer of estate wines made from Biodynamic grapes in the country. "I'm incredibly humbled to receive this level of recognition from Oregon Wine Press," said Marchesi. "My passion for biodynamic practices has only grown over the years, and I hope to continue to share that message with other leaders in the wine industry." Marchesi has been in the wine indus- try for more than 40 years and supports the vineyard, winemaking and sales teams at Montinore Estate. Prior to Montinore Estate, Marchesi developed an interest in organic agriculture while working for a wine distributor in the northeastern U.S. He enrolled in a year-long training course in biodynamic farming at the Pfeiffer Center in New York before returning to work in wine production. Marchesi accepted a consultancy at Montinore Estate in 1998 and started bio- dynamic trials on the vineyard five years later. The vineyards showed a dramatic transformation after only one season of biodynamic treatments, and by 2006 all of Montinore Estate's vines were being converted to biodynamic farming tech- niques. In 2008, Montinore Estate achieved biodynamic certification for both its vineyard and winery by Demeter USA, the nation's governing body for biodynamic practices and certifications.