Lead by strong sales growth across all product lines at Victory Refrigeration and notable market breakthroughs by AFE's Infinity fryers, the Aga Foodservice Equipment division is on pace to exceed overall business expectations for 2006.

     Though the company's market position has been buoyed by Victory's and Infinity's recent successes, AFE (and Victory) President Mark Whalen remains acutely aware that work remains to be done to increase industry awareness and acceptance of products from his division's newer brands - Stellar and Eloma

     "We'd like to see Stellar begin moving at a faster growth pace than it is now," Whalen commented. "We're finding that once specifiers and operators become personally acquainted with Stellar steamers' boilerless technology, with the way it reduces water and energy consumption, cuts maintenance and repair requirements, and performs as well as any conventional model, they are impressed and interested. Now, we've got to do a better job of getting this message out across the industry."

     Whalen also characterized Eloma as now being "fully into its launch phase," with marketing and advertising programs, as well as spec sheet revisions, all now underway. "One of the obstacles we've encountered in bringing the company further along is some unexpected delays in attaining regulatory approvals we need to bring Eloma's German-made boilerless combi ovens to customers in North America," he noted. "As a result, it will probably be close to the middle of 2007 before we'll be able to offer Eloma's complete product line."

     Whalen added that future Eloma marketing efforts will stress its products unsurpassed build quality, energy savings and high-tech feature set that allow the company's boilerless combis to operate more efficiently than traditional models. Both Eloma and Stellar will also be enhancing ties with selected dealer buying groups during coming months.

     Along with Victory Refrigeration, whose reach-in refrigerators and blast chillers are gaining new market share and which recorded its best-ever sales month in August, Infinity is recording extensive new business gains in 2006. Much interest and new sales have been generated in the chain restaurant and school foodservice markets, according to Whalen. What's more, in-field performance of Infinity's current fryers is proving so reliable that end-users are now volunteering to participate in a testimonial marketing program being developed for AFE's companies.