Jim Collins Holding a Master Class at the FEDA Annual Conference
Imagine having renowned business guru Jim Collins at your dinner table. What would you ask him? At the 2025 FEDA Annual Executive Leadership Conference, that rare opportunity becomes reality. In addition to his keynote presentation, Collins will also present a master class, which will be an open, interactive Q&A session where attendees’ inquiries take center stage. This is your chance to engage directly with one of the most influential business thinkers of our time. Don’t miss it!
Get Recognized at the 2025 FEDA Gold Awards This September!FEDA is excited to be recognizing the unique achievements of distributor and manufacturer members during the Gold Awards presentation at the 2025 FEDA Annual Executive Leadership Conference. Complete your submission before the July 31, 2025, deadline!
MEMBER NEWS
Taco Bell Honors Wasserstrom as Top Equipment and Smallwares Supplier
Wasserstrom has received the 2024 Taco Bell Star Award for Equipment and Smallwares Supplier of the Year. The Star Awards are presented by Yum! Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, and recognize suppliers who demonstrate outstanding performance in areas such as customer service, product quality and innovation. This is the fifth time Wasserstrom has won a Star Award and the third time for the equipment and smallwares category.
Curtis Restaurant Equipment CEO Featured as 2025 Emerging Leader in Foodservice Equipment ReportsRyan McPhail shares how his family's background in foodservice led him into the equipment side of the industry, and how his drive to learn more positioned him for leadership roles.
New Member Q&A: BOTINKIT
BOTINKIT’s integrated hardware-and-software platform aims to remove the foodservice industry’s biggest pain points by automating cooking and optimizing kitchen efficiency.
Perlick Taps Fifth Generation Family Member as Next CEO
TJ Perlick Molinari will lean on his experience as an attorney and in the foodservice equipment industry to guide the manufacturer’s long-term vision and strategy. Additionally, the company is creating the new role of president and general manager to support its next phase of growth.
Flexeserve Hires Two Directors to Lead Engineering and Technology Efforts
Jon White has joined the company as director of mechanical engineering, while Dan Vallance was named director of digital and technology. The pair bring more than 45 years of combined engineering, technology and high-level management experience to Flexeserve.
READ MORE
Jackson WWS Adds Northeast Regional Sales Manager
Bradley Williamson brings five years of industry sales experience to the FEDA manufacturer member.
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INDUSTRY EDUCATION
Integrating Data Into Supply Chains
In today’s fast-paced, interconnected global market, supply chain efficiency is not just a competitive advantage; it’s a necessity. Foodservice equipment and supplies (FE&S) distributors and manufacturers face growing pressure to deliver faster, reduce costs and improve visibility across their supply chains — all while managing transformative disruption that changes daily. Rising to this challenge and achieving supply chain control and stability requires modern solutions that are made possible through digital integration and connectivity between dealers, suppliers and customers.
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RESEARCH & REPORTS
Most Restaurant Operators Report Higher Sales for First Time Since January
A majority of restaurant operators reported higher same-store sales in May, pushing the overall restaurant industry back into a period of expansion, according to new data from the National Restaurant Association. The association’s monthly Restaurant Performance Index rose 0.4 percent in May to 100.1 — just above the 100-level that marks neutral growth. That was driven mainly by a 0.9 percent gain in the Current Situation component of the index, which rose to 100.4, reaching above 100 for the first time since January.
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Congress Passes Long-Sought Tax Relief
The Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill passed the House of Representatives on a 218-214 vote Thursday, July 3, delivering critical tax relief that business advocacy groups have been pursuing for several years. The final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act included several key provisions that were sought by business advocacy groups to prevent a tax increase that would have otherwise occurred at the end of the year if the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act were allowed to expire.
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Oregon Rejects Extension for EPR Law Implementation
The state of Oregon has denied a request from business advocacy groups to delay the implementation of its extended producer responsibility law by one year, making it the first state to put this new kind of policy into action. Companies doing business in Oregon that are classified as “producers” will now need to begin paying fees to a producer responsibility organization (PRO). The PRO will use these fees to fund end-of-life processing or recycling for packaged items, food serviceware, certain types of equipment, and plastic or paper products.
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THIS WEEK: Learn More About Extended Producer Responsibility Laws at the July 9 FEDA Advocacy Council Presentation
On July 1, Oregon became the first state to implement an extended producer responsibility (EPR) law — a new type of policy that would require producers, including wholesale distributors, that sell packaged items, food serviceware, certain types of equipment, and plastic or paper products to join a producer responsibility organization (PRO). The laws, which have been passed in seven states and are being considered by 10 more, require producers to pay fees to the PRO to fund end-of-life processing or recycling of materials. Brian Wild, chief government relations officer at the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, will share more information with FEDA members at the FEDA Advocacy Council presentation from 10:30 a.m. to noon CT on July 9.
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Need a Product Video? FEDA Can Help
Are you a manufacturer needing assistance producing high-quality product videos for the FEDA Video Marketing Center? FEDA can help! We can develop customized product videos on your behalf using a design we’ve created specifically to showcase foodservice equipment and supplies.
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| Upcoming FEDA and Other Industry Events |
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2025 FEDA Annual Conference
Sept. 10-13, 2025
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Full Calendar of Industry Events
Ongoing
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