Aga Foodservice Equipment eNews

AFE Companies Made 2006 A Year To Build On

With sales up across the board, the Victory Refrigeration, Infinity Fryers, Stellar Steam and Eloma combi oven companies comprising the Aga Foodservice Equipment division concluded a memorable 2006. AFE (and Victory) President Mark Whalen related that Victory and Eloma generated the most outstanding sales results, meeting or exceeding all projected '06 targets, while Infinity and Stellar made impressive gains but are expected to do still better in 2007.

"The sales growth we experienced during the past 12 months gave a clear indication that the value proposition AFE brands represent earned increasing acceptance among specifiers and operators in major markets," Whalen observed. "We were especially pleased with the U.S. market's reaction to Eloma's debut, which was a very pleasant surprise as our new combi line-up made a material contribution to our corporate bottom line and even created an order backlog for '07." MORE>>

Victory Records A
Year To Remember
In 2006

Not only did Aga Foodservice Equipment's Victory Refrigeration meet or exceed all sales goals and ring up the highest volume month in its more than 40-year history during the past year, the company was also able to improve simultaneously many of its internal fundamentals, according to Victory (and AFE) President Mark Whalen.

Whalen related that Victory had worked hard to rationalize its product line, axing slower-selling models during '06, for instance, and investing to increase capacity at its Cherry Hill, NJ, factory to accommodate newly created and future demand. "Our primary goal is to lay the foundation for enduring success," he commented, "and one way we're accomplishing this is by executing our sales and marketing strategy more effectively. This involves promoting and adhering to Victory's V2E pledge of more reliable performance, greater energy efficiency and technological superiority."

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Solid Sales Increases
Mark Break-Out Year
For Infinity

Aga Foodservice Equipment's Infinity Fryers had a brand-establishing year in 2006, posting significant new sales and market share gains in several major operator sectors. Mitch Cohen, VP of Cooking System Sales for Infinity, Stellar Steam and Eloma combi ovens, AFE's three hot-side companies, noted that Infinity's pre-mix gas fryers had increasingly been selected by end-users and specifiers in market segments including college and university foodservices, casual dining and quick-service chains.

"Many of these new orders were for considerable-sized jobs, involving 10 or more fryers at a time," Cohen confirmed. "We also saw quite an increase during '06 in the number of specifications we received from design consultants and dealer designers. This development tells us that Infinity's value proposition of lower energy costs, increased oil life and faster, more reliable performance is beginning to be recognized across the foodservice industry, though we've still got a long way to go."

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Stellar & Eloma Claim Center Stage In 2006 Equipment Marketplace

    Thanks to designed-in advantages such as low-maintenance boilerless technology, exclusive heat exchangers that ensure unsurpassed cooking performance and category-leading energy and water savings, sales of products from Stellar Steam and Eloma combi ovens rose substantially in 2006.

    According to Mitch Cohen, VP of Cooking Systems Sales for Stellar and Eloma (as well as Infinity Fryers), Aga Foodservice Equipment's steamer maker enjoyed "a very large growth" in orders in '06, earning new market share in the K-12 education and national chain sectors. "Stellar's year-end results also give us strong reason to expect further sales among commercial multi-unit operators in 2007," Cohen advised. "Building Stellar's chain order book will be a key focus for our field and phone sales team."

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