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Lisa Hosey, Marketing Coordinator
(856) 428-4200, ext. 5135 l.hosey@agaappliance.com
Twenty-year veteran of foodservice E&S sales management takes on leadership responsibilities for Victory Refrigeration, Stellar Steam and Eloma combi ovens.
CHERRY HILL, NJ, APRIL 2008 - Mitch Cohen, who has held sales management positions with distributors and equipment makers since 1987, has been promoted to Vice President of Sales for Ali Group companies Victory Refrigeration, Stellar Steam and Eloma combi ovens.
"I feel honored to have been asked to take on larger responsibilities for an organization as big and deep in resources as ours" Cohen remarked. "My primary contributions in my new job will be to build greater market awareness of Stellar, Eloma and Victory products in every domestic industry segment, create new sales relationships and drive demand for our companies' innovative and highly energy-efficient equipment."
"We are thrilled to have Mitch join the Victory sales team as its leader, especially in light of the challenges we face to improve our business in a daunting competitive environment and weak economy," commented Mark Whalen, President of Victory Refrigeration. "Mitch brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position and is well respected in the industry."
Prior to assuming sales leadership for Victory, Eloma and Stellar, Cohen's background included sales development positions with two dealers and three foodservice equipment manufacturers. In 2004, he was named Vice President of Sales for Infinity Fryers, and soon thereafter was tabbed to manage sales at Stellar Steam and Eloma, as well. Under Cohen's sales management, these hot-side equipment brands have recorded impressive and consistent sales gains since being introduced to the market in past few years.
Cohen noted that he is "very excited about the opportunity to work for Victory Refrigeration. Victory is an extremely well-established manufacturer that has been known for decades as a maker of technologically superior refrigeration equipment designed for operators in every segment of our industry. I'm delighted to have this opportunity to work with Victory's seasoned sales force along with its customer service team, which is second to none."
Cohen began his career in foodservice E&S with Edward Don & Co., after graduating from the University of Illinois/Chicago. Cohen remained with Don for several years as a territory salesperson, covering downtown Chicago, until he was hired by The Boelter Cos. to help open that Milwaukee-based dealer's Chicago office. Cohen worked for Boelter in Chicago as a Key Accounts Manager, serving chains and other large customers throughout Illinois. He was next hired by Keating to represent the manufacturer as its western regional sales manager in 23 states and the Canadian Pacific coast. "That was when I first learned to live in airports," he recalled wryly.
After leaving Keating, Cohen joined Southbend as Vice President of Sales and assumed leadership of the firm's overall sales efforts across the U.S. and Canada. After several years in that position, Cohen became VP of National Accounts for Vulcan-Hart, where he again managed corporate sales efforts on the West Coast and in western Canada. Cohen was recruited in May 2004 to build national sales for Infinity Fryers and, prior to his recent appointment at Victory Refrigeration, also pioneered the entry of Eloma combi ovens and Stellar steamers in the North American market. Cohen's expanded responsibilities are now in effect, and he will continue to report to President Mark Whalen while focusing his primary sales efforts on the nation's top 20 chains, as well as the schools and healthcare markets.
"It is pretty apparent that the biggest challenge in my new position is coordinating Eloma's, Stellar's and Victory's national sales strategies while promoting their independent identities in the increasingly over-crowded foodservice equipment market," Cohen related
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