Singer Equipment has grown to be the largest distributor of commercial foodservice equipment & supplies in the Metro New York and the Mid-Atlantic. For over a century, Singer has provided unmatched service to the Northeast’s restaurant and foodservice industries.
With the recently announced promotions of Eric Schwartz to Director of Strategic Accounts and Eric Santagato to VP of Distribution Sales, Singer is poised to elevate their already exemplary reputation for their commitment to innovation and service to new heights.
Eric Schwartz has not only been a leader in the industry for a long time, but he has also had experience on nearly every level of it. Even though he originally graduated from Florida International University with an interest in hotel management, Schwartz quickly realized that his true passion lay in food service. After working at various levels at several different food and equipment distribution companies, and even investing in the restoration of a small, local deli, Schwartz joined the Singer family. He has since made the Elverson, PA firm, his home for the past 23 years. “Each of my operational side experiences gave me key lessons. They proved to be invaluable and have been major factors in my success at Singer. Not many people are able to tell customers that they understand their challenges because they’ve been in their exact shoes. Luckily, I can,” said Schwartz
Schwartz plans to use all of his accumulated experience to spring Singer forward, even under the umbrella of the pandemic. “When it comes to helping restaurants reopen and survive, it’s important to remember that Singer is not just a dealer. It’s a vital force of distribution and industry knowledge for both our operator partners and our vendor partners. Now more than ever, we need to be a solution-oriented company, but also compassionate towards our customers’ needs and their daily struggles. My specific focus for leading this department will be on maintaining and expanding our relationships and driving business development across every market.”
Schwartz will report to Eric Santagato, Singer’s new VP of Distribution Sales. Like Schwartz, Santagato comes from a very diverse background and brings a colorful array of experience to the table. Ever since his stint as a record-breaking quarterback and captain for the football team at Muhlenberg College in PA, Santagato has had a natural propensity for leadership. Although Santagato has spent time at various different positions in sales and waste management, when an opportunity to join Singer crossed his path, he knew it was the right choice for him. “The way Singer valued relationships really drew me in,” Santagato recounted.
“Although relationships are important in any business, the way Singer took it a step further and focused on building foundations of trust really resonated with me,” Santagato continued. “Singer has always been about being students of the industry, so being able to be a trusted resource for our partners is extremely important.” Santagato has grand plans for the future of Singer. “I’ll be responsible for the distribution and street sales for essentially the entire organization. What I aim to do is merge the entire business into a single, unified salesforce. In my opinion, we’re already on the path towards achieving this, and as I like to say, If everybody finds even just a single way to win in some way everyday, we will get there.”
These two emerging industry stars are sure to make Singer more successful than ever, and help it further its goal of being one of the premier solution providers in the industry.
In its 102nd year of service, Singer continues to differentiate itself from other foodservice equipment and supply dealers with exemplary customer service delivered by over 400 employees to thousands of customers annually. Singer maintains twelve offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Florida, including 4 distribution centers boasting over 400,000 square feet of warehousing capabilities. Singer’s multimillion-dollar product portfolio is available for immediate delivery, with a fleet of 48 private trucks servicing major hospitality markets in PA, NJ, NY, DE, MD and Washington, D.C.
Santagato and Schwartz will also help to guide the growth of Singer’s national footprint. Singer’s Contract Design-Build division is comprised of 18 market-specific teams which offers the best and most exclusive bundle of services to the American foodservice industry. Those services include: Interior & Foodservice Design, Procurement, Project Management, Installation and Tabletop & Smallwares. Singer’s Design-Build team has completed projects in all 50 states and overseas. Singer offers an end-to-end solution, working with customers from design to installation. Learn more at the Singer equipment website.
