Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/825195
Restaurant Daily News 1 0 5 Tuesday, May 23, 2017 requires blending, mixing, whisking, puréeing or whipping. The high-efficien- cy motors power through even the thick- est ingredients to produce delicious, smooth sauces, batters and soups in min- utes. The stainless steel shaft sizes range from 7 inches to 21 inches and can work wonders in any capacity from 3 to 50 gal- lons. With all-purpose stainless steel blades that reach deep, and comfortable grips, these ergonomically designed blending sticks are easy to handle and bring ultimate control, safety and consis- tently smooth results to any task, large or small. The shafts of the Big Stix are inter- changeable and there are a variety of accessories available for all your mixing needs, including a whisk attachment, a bowl clamp and wall-mount hanger. Introducing the Bolt™ Waring Commercial is proud to introduce the latest addition to its immersion blender collection – the Bolt. This cord- less unit has all the power of a corded unit, but is smaller, lightweight and super convenient. You can use it anywhere, Waring (Cont'd. from p. 1) which makes it ideal for catering. There's a storage and transport case included, so it's easy to bring it on the road to wher- ever your work takes you. It has the power of a three-cell lithium ion battery pack, which allows for high current draw, and the efficiency of a brushless DC motor for power and long motor life, plus cordless convenience. The 7-inch shaft can mix up to 4 gallons and can operate under load for approximately 28 minutes without recharging. Variable speed control from 5K –13K RPMs gives the operator full con- trol over the consistency of what's being blended. To make life even easier, the blending shaft is removable, fully immersible and can go in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. "We're very excited about bringing the Bolt to the NRA show," said Samantha Mullins, Waring Product Manager. "We've received such great feedback and are happy to be able to pro- vide the market with a cordless immer- sion blender that gets the job done." For more information, go to www.waring commercialproducts.com or stop by booth #2616. HS: Actually, SKECHERS originally started in 1992 as a utility footwear com- pany, so this goes back to our roots from day one. Most people are really surprised to see all the different work shoes we make, but you can see in our booth that we provide a lot of options for foodser- vice employees who want to look good, stay safe from slips and falls and be com- fortable throughout their shifts. RDN: Tell us about the SKECHERS Direct Corporate Shoe Program. Who can join? HS: Our corporate shoe program has been out for about four years now, and this year, it's available to companies with 100 or more employees who are based in the U.S. or Canada (we previously required 250 or more). It's a cost-free program with no minimum purchasing requirements, no set-up fees, no costs whatsoever. Your employees simply buy Direct from SKECHERS and save 30 percent year-round on our ASTM Mark II tested slip-resistant work shoes and cor- porate casual styles. RDN: Our company has uniform requirements that include shoes. Can you accommodate that? HS: Yes. Purchases can be made online at our SKECHERS ecommerce site that's custom-built to the uniform needs of your company. If you require black slip-resist- ant shoes, your employees won't see a brown boot on the website, so they can't buy it thinking that it would be okay to SKECHERS (Cont'd. from p. 1) wear to work. That's the beauty of our program compared to a lot of others. RDN: How long does it take to get the shoes ordered through the website? HS: Orders usually ship within 48 hours and online orders receive free shipping and free returns. If you have an employ- ee that you hire to start the next day or would simply like to try on their shoes before purchasing, they can also shop at any of our 450+ SKECHERS retail stores nationwide and in Canada. We have a SKECHERS retail store in every major city and this is a huge benefit that none of our competitors can offer. RDN: Are there any other benefits? HS: Yes. Our slip-resistant shoes come with a $5,000 slip and fall warranty that helps protect your company from the expensive consequences of slips and falls. Plus, your employees will enjoy our quarterly friends and family day events, which allow them to extend their 30 percent discount and all SKECHERS shoes for the entire family, including kids' shoes, sandals, casual shoes and our performance line of run- ning, walking and golf shoes (over 3,000 styles to choose from). This is another employee benefit that our com- petitors can't offer, as they only make work shoes. For more information, visit SKECHERS in booth #1278 in the South Hall. After the show, call Harold Surabian at 310. 318.3100, ext. 1860 or email haroldsu@skechers.com. AY: What makes us stand out the most is the combination of high quality service, competitive prices and great products. We have made it a goal to give our cus- tomers the best experience possible. That is more than just having a good product. It's about the full package. RDN: What is it about Lollicup USA that makes it a unique company? AY: As one of the few manufacturers to offer direct container services to cus- tomers worldwide, we successfully oper- ate four warehouses in Sumner, Washington, Summerville, South Carolina and two in Chino, California (HQ). We are able to service the entire country quickly and efficiently. With a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, in- house, we are able to manufacture a lot of our Karat brand domestically, which makes us proud to say many of our prod- ucts are made in the USA. With multiple, well positioned manufacturing plants worldwide, we are also able to reduce costs and lead times, fulfill max capaci- ties, provide stability and offer value, convenience and direct container ship- ments for customers internationally. RDN: What was the most significant event or series of events that affected your business this past year? Lollicup (Cont'd. from p. 1) AY: One of the most significant events for our business this past year was setting up our distribution in Texas. We opened a warehouse in Wilmer, Texas. We now have four warehouses in the U.S. Also last year, we doubled our manufacturing capacity of plastic cup by investing in a new, more efficient extruder by the German company, Reifenhauser. RDN: What is the key to Lollicup USA's success? AY: The key to our success is our satis- faction guaranteed approach to each and every one of the thousands of customers that we've worked with across the nation. We have grown to become one of the major single-sources solutions for bever- age and foodservice supplies, and we are the largest supplier of bubble tea prod- ucts in the United States. This is some- thing we could not have done without our customers, and in order to keep those customers, we have a certain set of guidelines for ourselves to put their satis- faction first. This includes reasonable pricing, flexibility in shipping, high qual- ity goods and services and even the option to shop online at our web store, lollicupstore.com. For more information, visit www.lollicup usa.com, call 626.965.8882, email info@lollicup.com or stop by booth #1464. "We have always taken seriously our commitment to our farmers, employees and Vermont's working landscape – these values are at the core of our decision to sell the business," said Vermont Creamery co-Founder Allison Hooper. "As we experience unprecedented growth, we need a partner who can bring the resources and expertise necessary to help us realize our vision and the poten- tial of our business." "We purchased Vermont Creamery and welcome them to the Land O'Lakes family because we love their brand and would like to help bring it to even more people," said Chris Policinski, Land O'Lakes President and Chief Executive Officer. "We share a value-added, brand- ed approach to marketing our products, a meaningful respect for our customers and deeply rooted rural values." Hooper and Bob Reese, who found- ed the business together in 1984, say Land O'Lakes is the ideal new owner. A farmer-owned food and agricultural cooperative, Land O'Lakes has been in operation for more than 95 years. Widely known for its iconic butter brand, it is a diverse business that also includes Purina Animal Nutrition and WinField United. At its core, Land O'Lakes is driven by agricultural products that return value to farmers and fulfill its purpose of feeding human progress. "Vermont Creamery's heritage mir- rors our own here at Land O'Lakes – a company founded by people who care about bringing the highest quality prod- ucts from farm to fork," said Beth Ford, Land O'Lakes group Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "We are excited about the culture of product innovation they have built in addition to the category itself and the opportunities for even more expansion." "After years of thoughtful planning and a rigorous selection process, we are confident that we have found the best Vermont Creamery (Cont'd. from p. 1) steward of our business, values and peo- ple in Land O'Lakes. We are both respected dairy brands with deep connec- tions to farmers and an unyielding com- mitment to quality and innovation. We look forward to this opportunity to tell our story more broadly and increase access to our high-quality dairy prod- ucts," Reese added. Reese and Hooper will serve as trusted advisors and brand ambassadors for the business. President Adeline Druart and the leadership team will remain in place as will all employees of the business. Ayers Brook Goat Dairy is not included in the transaction. The Hooper family will retain ownership of the farm, which will continue to serve as a key supplier to the creamery and cata- lyst for the growth of the goat dairy industry in Vermont. The terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed. Adeline Druart, President of Vermont Creamery, remarked, "Bob and Allison have been such incredible entre- preneurs building Vermont Creamery's success and mentoring the team on their vision and values for the business. Partnering with Land O'Lakes adds the next key ingredients for our growth: additional resources and dairy expertise. This transaction positions Vermont Creamery for continued success in the future." Founded at a time when Americans rarely ate goat cheese, Vermont Creamery has grown over nearly 35 years to be a premiere producer of fresh and aged goat cheese, crème fraîche and cul- tured butter. With hundreds of awards and burgeoning national distribution, Vermont Creamery is respected as a pio- neer of the artisan cheesemaking move- ment in America. In 2014, Vermont Creamery was the second cheesemaker in the world to earn B Corp certification and will maintain this certification and commitment to tits community, employ- ees and environment under new owner- ship.