As vice president of cooking system sales for Aga Foodservice Equipment's Infinity Fryers, as well as its Eloma and Stellar Steam brands, Mitch Cohen spends a lot of his time and energy reaching out to specifying consultants. Given the nature the equipment manufactured by AFE, communicating a compelling "reasons to spec" message to these professionals is vital to the success of the companies he represents.

    "The products we sell are not commodity items. They're all heavy in features and in benefits that provide end-users with energy savings, oil savings, water savings and labor savings," he explained. "Consultants appreciate the importance of those types of advantages when they're designing kitchens, so that's what makes them important to us -- they don't spec on price alone, but on what products can do for end-users."

    In the case of Infinity fryers, consultant-friendly features include lower oil usage, a fast and easy-to-use filtration system, and the ENERGY STAR® certification across the line, all of which marks Infinity's units as some of the most efficient gas fryers on the market.

    "Another key feature that consultants should appreciate, " Cohen said, "is the two-year parts-and-labor warranty that comes standard with all Infinity products. As the costs of kitchens increase, it's a big bonus for end-users to have an extra year of warranty protection," he pointed out.

    To allow consultants to learn about these features, as well as see and taste foods produced by AFE-brand equipment first-hand, the company has established 17 test kitchens across the country. At these locations, AGA corporate chefs host regular cooking demonstrations, involving not only Infinity fryers but also Eloma combi ovens and Stellar-brand steamers.

    Cohen stressed that his company's efforts don't end once a product is specified or even once it is shipped. Consultants, he said, can count on the level of post-sale support offered by AFE for all its products, Infinity included.

    "Once a product is sold, an AFE rep will be there to start it up," said Cohen. "Our corporate chefs are also available in case end-users want more information on how to use our products for specific applications. We'll continue to work with end-users until they're comfortable with our products."

For more information, visit Infinity Fryer's web site at www.infinityfryers.com