Andrew Wolfe has branched out on his own and is leading the pack at WolfePack. Wolfe’s company may be new but Wolfe is certainly not new to the industry. Over the past 13 years, Wolfe has worked in sales, representing some of the finest brands in the industry.
Total Food Service had the pleasure of chatting with Andrew to learn more about WolfePack and what they will be bringing to the table.
What brought you to branch out on your own?
After many years of honing my craft, it became clear that I had built a solid and growing reputation with dealers and factories alike. In fact, I was frequently asked by a factory management company when I was planning to go out on my own as many of them suggested. I became eager to have the opportunity to increase the freedom that self-employment provides. I wanted to exercise and utilize my own unique style of selling and promoting.
Can you tell us a little bit about your involvement with MAFSI and how it helps representatives like yourself?
I’ve been included with MAFSI throughout my entire career. Over those 20 years, I’ve afforded the opportunity to attend various mass scale events and meetings more actively as time went on. As an independent rep, I value MAFSI’s role in communicating information regarding factories seeking new representation, networking with my colleagues, and sharing ideas and innovative sales strategies. It’s an absolute in order to succeed in people’s own regions.
What is WolfePack’s mission statement?
I have a model that has served me well in the years of my career. “If you own the purchase order you own the problem.” This encompasses my belief about sales; there must be continuity from the sale through installation and then the warranty. Here is a perfect example; we sell a dealer a blender that gets shipped to their end user. If the customer works that unit to death as long as it is within the warranty period, I want our dealer customer and their end user to know that we are in for the long haul.
What are the needs of the dealers in today’s market?
People are more in a rush nowadays than they were years ago. Where they were a bit more patient to wait for an answer, now everything is they need it yesterday, so to speak. They need an easily accessible, regularly reachable and competent representative like myself. They also need someone to answer questions in that that must be reflective of the fast paced computer based world within which we live. And of course, as a joke, they need the best pricing.
What is your strategy for getting your brands out to the dealer and to the operator?
I find that people’s interest peeks when they have an opportunity to see and touch the actual product. This is challenging to achieve. As such, I use a show and tell method and work with my factories to have samples that can be brought to the dealer for this purpose. In addition it’s very important that with our tabletop lines that we support our dealers with extensive sample inventory. We want them to be able to experiment with plating their menu on the plate and test it under fire in the restaurant.
How did you go about creating this portfolio of brands?
Well, when I started, I wanted to ensure a line list with variety and depth. Through different avenues, I was able to create an exciting list. This is another example of how helpful many of my fellow MAFSI reps are.
How have the E&S needs of the end user changed over the years?
By becoming more modern and trendy with an increased focus on aesthetics, operators look more to mix that with functionality. Menus now require greater specificity in the type of tools and equipment needed to maintain their upscale image. Healthcare and campus dining are phenomenal examples of this. A lot of the maternity wards now, rather than just regular menus, expectant moms, and moms that just delivered, enjoy the waiter and waitress service, with a choice of menu items. Same thing for campus dining. A lot of campus dining halls that once were just a regular mess hall type are now basically mini food courts.
How has your role as a rep changed?
Reflecting back on some of what we have discussed already, it seems that one of the main shifts is being able to flow with trends while continuing to provide a more traditional, hands-on type of representation. In a world where individual attention is often replaced by automation and the Internet, I can continue to provide the best of both worlds. The dealers and the operators are looking more to the rep for guidance and instruction for their own ideas, and projects. A lot of times a dealer will actually call the rep and say, “I have a customer here in front of me. They’re interested in your X-Y-Z piece of equipment. Can you further explain how that can benefit them?”
What are the goals for the WolfePack?
WolfePack will continue to grow as dealers and consultants become more aware of my philosophy in represented lines. And by growth, I’m referring not only to increased sales and satisfaction of my dealers and factories. I will continue to provide exceptional and personal service. In todays ever changing market. WolfePack will also become a more visible company via the web to include social media and expanded digital communication. I chose the name WolfePack because it is my hope that one day my amazing children will follow me into the business so I can hand it over to them.
