Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/777729
Food Equipment News Saturday, February 11, 2017 3 0 REASONS TO UTILIZE A PRODUCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Consistency. Quality. Safety. Savings. Are you the next food safety PR story? Do you bid on your produce, utilize a broadline distributor for produce or play the market by relying on your local dis- tributor relationship? If so, read on – a produce management program can be the protection that your brand needs. Standard produce contracts rely on large distributors to source, store and deliver produce to restaurant locations. These distributors source from huge national growers and shippers and pro- vide little to no traceability or other safe- ty measures. When growers announce an outbreak of listeria in spinach out of Oxnard, California, how can you be sure that you are not serving that contaminant to your guests? Consolidated Concepts' Fresh Concept managed produce program con- trols and tracks produce from seed to delivery. Its produce team works with the grower, distributor and operator to man- age food safety practices, supply, quality, storing, shipping and price stability throughout the produce supply chain. Produce boxes are labeled with specific grower information, including the partic- ular plot of farmland from which the pro- duce was sourced. Field teams inspect its 125 distributors four times per year to guarantee that all produce is being distributed accord- ing to specific qual- ity standards. Recalls are managed through an online portal that tracks every case of every product and recalls are resolved in an average of 43 minutes. Furthermore, a produce management program provides consistent quality by working with the operator on clear spec- ifications and making sure your distribu- tor partner is delivering those specs each and every time. When you bid out your product to a large distributor, you really do not know what you are going to get and from where. Consolidated Concepts assigns a dedicated produce manager to your account to manage your specs and ensure consistency for your kitchen and your guests. C o n s o l i d a t e d Concepts clients save an average of five to eight percent by moving to its managed produce program. Operators gain pricing transparency by taking advantage of its online distributor price portal. Operators benefit from Consolidated Concepts' 350 contracted produce line items, price reviews, week- ly order guides and fixed pricing. Managed Produce offers consisten- cy, quality and savings to operators who desire more reliable produce sources at lower prices. Most importantly, operators gain the peace of mind of knowing their guests are safe – that's a spinach salad you can really sink your teeth into. For more information, visit www .consolidatedconcepts.net. HIC OFFERS ESSENTIALS TO KEEP YOU COOKING By Stacey Mulligan Young, HIC, Harold Import Co. HIC has been serving the restaurant trade since the company was first established in 1957. We started off by being a great source for Japanese-style coupe and rim dinnerware and continued to add new items to our line year after year that helped service the needs of chefs. With products that are born out of a focus on quality, function and value, Harold Import Co.'s Family of Brands feature culinary tools designed to with- stand the rigor of a professional kitchen, including oven-to-table porcelain, bake- ware, flatware, unique gadgets and a deep tabletop assortment. Over the years, restau- rant suppliers have said that they consider us the unique smallwares compa- ny and the go-to source for items that are hard to find, such as a bone marrow spoon or traditional Japanese style Kinpira Peelers. We provide more than 3,000 products that can fill in many of the gadget or cooking tool needs of any chef working in any size restaurant. Our unique items as well as our traditional tools give suppliers a one-stop shop to support their clients' needs. HIC is a one-stop shop for not only walk-in, cash- and-carry businesses, but also an excellent resource for hard-to-find items for the restaurant kitchen. With low mini- mums, and membership in AutoQuotes, HIC is working to make its customers' experience as convenient as possible. For more information, visit www.haroldimport.com. HOLSTEIN MFG CELEBRATES 40 YEARS By Darrin B. Schmidt, President of Holstein Mfg. Holstein Mfg. is a second generation family owned business which special- izes in commercial mobile/stationary barbecue grills (charcoal, propane and natural gas), commercial mobile smok- ers, corn roasters, deep fat fryers, high- end residential grills and concession trailers. Holstein Mfg. operates with stainless steel and carbon steel fabrica- tion using computerized design, laser tables, steel bending brakes, steel shear- ing equipment and welders. We pride ourselves about making everything from the ground up with all fabrication taking place at our facility in Holstein, Iowa. Our company was established in 1976 by Bruce Schmidt and now is enjoying the smooth and successful tran- sition to the second generation. I have been involved with the company since I was nine years old. Holstein Mfg. has the lifelong experience and reputation in the commercial outdoor food cooking equip- ment to satisfy any customer looking for a high quality grill, smoker, corn roaster or fryer. Holstein Mfg. prides itself on the innumerable NSF-approved grills, smokers, corn roasters and deep fat fry- ers. Holstein Mfg. has survived and prospered by continuing to improve upon and innovate new products for our consumers and improve upon current products. Our motto has been, "We can build almost anything." That statement rings loud and clear with the fact that we sell a charcoal grill for as little as $285 to our highest priced item which is an NSF-approved, stainless steel con- vection smoker for $27,900. Nobody covers the high quality, outdoor grilling market and food preparation like Holstein Mfg. For more information, visit www .holsteinmfg.com.