General Session
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
8:30 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. MST
Welcome and Chairman's Opening Remarks
FEDA Chairman Marc Tell, president of Sam Tell Companies, officially opens the conference and welcomes attendees.
State of the Industry Reports
The State of the Industry presentations will feature new insights from Jameel Burkett, president and CEO of Burkett Restaurant Equipment, and Aaron Brown, CEO of Refrigerated Solutions Group, into the key challenges and trends dealers and manufacturers are tracking. The information covered in the reports will set up the themes that will permeate the conference and tee up presentations from FEDA's educational partners on critical topics.
Sponsored by:
Dealer Focus: Supply Chains of the Future Presentation
Chad Autry, associate dean of faculty and research at the University of Tennessee's Haslam College of Business, will detail his work with FEDA's Future of Distribution Council in developing supply chains of the future for the foodservice equipment and supplies industry. He will also share insights from his work with large businesses across industries and from the Haslam College of Business Supply Chain Forums.
Autry will be joined by J Schneider, managing director at Dorn Group. Schneider will use his experience as a global strategist for industrial manufacturers and distributors to show how Autry's research and work with the FEDA Future of Distribution Council can be applied to drive operational transformation.
Keynote Presentation: From Good to Great Leaders
Chosen as one of the "Greatest Living Business Minds" by Forbes, Collins has spent more than a quarter century learning what separates good enterprises from great ones. The results of his research have served as the basis for his seven bestselling management books, including Good to Great. Closing out the FEDA conference's General Session, Collins will give a 90-minute presentation on what it takes to build successful and enduring enterprises.
Keynote Sponsor:
