If you’re looking for a company that cuts it, bends it, welds it, and polishes it – we’re talking about food equipment, of course — Nemco Food Equipment has everything from display warmers to dipper wells to ceiling mount bulb warmer heat lamps for today’s foodservice establishments. And we make it all, according to Joe Carcione, Director of Sales.
“With thousands of available products, we have everything your business needs to function at its best,” Carcione said. “Over the years, Nemco has expanded our selection of wholesale supplies and commercial equipment to include healthcare, educational, and hotel supplies, as well.”
With the company for 10 years, and coming to it without much more than two nickels to rub together, Carcione reached out to a longtime friend looking for advice, the owner of AccuTemp Products, a foodservice manufacturer of steam cookers and steam griddles. He asked if there were any opportunities to “tide him over.” He was given a test. “They slapped me in a suit and sent me to the National Restaurant Association Show (NRA).”
He not only went to the show, he helped create and now is the co-chair for the North American Food Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers’ (NAFEM’s) new initiative, the Young Executives Forum, with the goal to bring young talent to the industry in all segments of the business.
“The rest is history,” Carcione adds. “I’ve since been to every single NRA and NAFEM and I serve on the MAFSI liaison committee for NAFEM and ServSafe as well and I’m a certified food service professional.”
Carcione explained that Nemco is one of the very few food equipment manufacturers that still make 100% of their own products. “We’re getting ready to introduce a ‘chef-inspired’ induction line of equipment, and a high-speed, microwave-assist Panini press. We also have many new products we plan to introduce at HX, NACS, NAFEM, and NRA. Finally, our new RinseWell technology for dipper well applications that uses up to 80% – 90% less water daily is coming, too.”
Carcione noted that Nemco has come a long way since the Spiral Fry, a product that lets chefs turn potatoes into plates of appetizing, fresh, thin spiral fries, one of its very first.
“We continue to add new products annually that exceed our quality expectations and offer these products at the most competitive price we can,” Carcione said. “Nemco now has a 90+ page American-made product catalog.”
And what about customer service? “We have four customer service agents, and an additional customer service technician dedicated to getting our customers back up and running as quickly as possible. It is not always about the sell, but more importantly how you handle the after-sales process. We also offer longer hours of phone service until 6:00 pm EST to help our West Coast customers,” Carcione stated.
Nemco is always continuously striving to think green in every aspect of its business. “From investing in a large recycle trash compacting unit outside, to separated trash cans throughout our plant, to literally using scrap paper as note pads or sheets instead of throwing away wastepaper,” Carcione explained.
The company has revived its 9-Point Resolute Inspection initiative. “We are our toughest critics at Nemco. We must ensure that anyone in our facility can stop any process in assembly or manufacturing or anywhere else if they see something that is not perfect or right in their minds. NEMCO handed out shirts to all employees a few months ago that stated ‘Nothing at Nemco is someone else’s problem,’ meaning, if you see something, say something. If we aren’t hearing complaints or issues in the field, we can’t fix them and get better, so we really want our customers to be the last step of our resolute process,” Carcione pointed out.
With brands and product categories in the food equipment industry sales marketplace being copied by other countries and companies, and mergers also more common than ever both in the manufacturing world, dealer community, and rep networks, and, of course, the Internet, it’s tough to stay ahead.
“We are all learning how to cope, react, and be fair to all industry partners. I could go on forever, but we are just starting to wrap our hands around this gorilla that in fact is here to stay and is stronger than ever. Nemco needs to adapt, be flexible and be the best and most fair partner to anyone,” Carcione concluded.
To learn more about Nemco Food Equipment, visit their website.
