Aga Foodservice Equipment eNews : Aga Foodservice Equipment Item

Eloma, Stellar Seek To Make Inroads With Specifiers

Both Eloma and Stellar Steam are relatively new to the U.S. foodservice industry, so bringing members of the foodservice equipment channel up to speed on their products is one of the first jobs of those responsible for the brands' success.

Given the advanced features and functionality of equipment from these two Aga Foodservice Equipment brands, these individuals dedicate much of their time to reaching out to the consultant community.

"First, we have all of our reps focus on consultants as their primary contacts," said Mitch Cohen, vice president of cooking system sales for Eloma and Stellar, as well as Infinity Fryers. "Second, when my staff and I travel, we try to reach those consultants by meeting with them in their offices. Third, we put a lot of effort into explaining to them why they should come to our product demonstrations.

    "These demos, which take place in the 17 test kitchens AFE has established around the country in recent months, have proven especially successful for Eloma combi ovens, which offer high-end features that are best understood when seen in action, " Cohen stated.

    Not only does AFE offer cooking demonstrations as a way of reaching out to consultants, it is also putting in place its first educational program on boilerless cooking technology. Both Eloma and Stellar Steam utilize variations of this technology, though the sessions AFE is designing are not product- or brand-specific. Consultants who attend a session offered by Eloma would be eligible to receive continuing-education credit from the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI).

    "Those consultants who know enough about Eloma and Stellar and their technologies to specify them should also draw reinforcement for their choices from the post-sale support AFE provides to end-users," Cohen added.

    Upon installation, AFE reps start up every unit sold by Stellar Steam to ensure it is working properly. AFE also makes its corporate chefs available to end-users to assist in adjusting their menus and developing new menu items based on the capabilities and features of the company's products.

    "The post-sale support for Eloma combi ovens is even more extensive," Cohen stated. "On the Eloma side, once a product is installed, we pay for a service agent to go to the site and make sure everything is hooked up and running correctly," he said. "By offering that level of service, consultants know that we are taking care of their clients all the way through to the actual opening of the kitchen and beyond."