Citing increased floor traffic and the presence of a greater percentage of qualified - and interested - equipment buyers, Mark Whalen, president of the Aga Foodservice Equipment division and Victory Refrigeration, described the recent NRA Show as "a solid step forward" for Victory, Infinity, Stellar steamers and Eloma combi ovens.

"We were very pleased by the volume and caliber of the attendees we received in our booth throughout the show, and the interest operators from chain and noncommercial markets showed in our products, resource-saving technologies and category-leading warranty coverage," he remarked. "We were also able to use the show to meet with current and prospective reps for all of our brands, which helped us move forward with developing national representation for each of our companies' lines."

Because Eloma, Stella and Infinity have either joined AFE or debuted their products within the past year, Whalen said that he was especially gratified by the amount of information end-users, specifiers and other channel partners requested about these companies' equipment offerings. "With Eloma, many show-goers were still looking to find out where its combi ovens are made and how long they've been around, as well as how their boilerless design and patented heat exchanger create superior cooking performance, energy and water savings, and reduced maintenance," he noted. "On the other hand, Infinity's rapidly growing brand recognition brought many show attendees to inquire about how its ENERGY STAR®-certified technology can help end-users cut energy and oil consumption, and filter frying media more easily and safely.

"When so many industry members tell you that they recognize that your products' features and performance compare favorably with competitors'," Whalen added, " you know you have equipment you can sell to customers for reasons other than a low-ball price."

In Whalen's view, this year's NRA show provided a welcome and productive setting for AFE and the Aga Foodservice Group to communicate their core message of "technological innovation and differentation" to equipment purchasers and specifiers. "We've made a point of developing and acquiring product lines that lead their categories in performance, energy and water savings, and dependable build quality," he stressed. "Because our products continue to prove their reliability in U.S. professional kitchens and operations around the globe, we've just extended the standard warranty coverage on Stellar and Eloma equipment to two years, just as we did last year with Victory's lines."

Due to the confidence AFE has in its products' ability to perform dependably and reduce end-users' operating costs year after year, Whalen now sees his biggest post-NRA challenge as communicating his companies' value propositions and comparative product advantages to target audiences across the industry.

"Given the feedback we received at this year's show, when operators and specifiers get to know the technology and capabilities designed into our equipment, their reaction is usually quite favorable," he explained. "So, where we need to take our next step forward is in distinguishing our brands in a market that's growing increasingly crowded, especially in the oven and refrigeration segments. When we do that, we'll see good sales opportunities due to end-users' growing preference for equipment, such as ours, that supports more economical, productive and safer foodservice operations."