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Last Chance to Submit Your Data for the 2026 FEDA Profit Survey
The FEDA Profit Survey is the industry’s most comprehensive resource for foodservice equipment and supplies distributors who want to measure their overall operating performance against their peers. If your company has not yet submitted data, please do so by July 3 to take advantage of this complimentary member benefit. Contact Isabelle Piotrowski, director of membership and business development, at isabelle@feda.com to get started.
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Work Through Shared Challenges at the 2026 FEDA Annual Conference Roundtables
By bringing together distributors, manufacturers, and other industry representatives, the roundtable discussions at the 2026 FEDA Annual Executive Leadership Conference will foster an understanding of various business challenges and how companies can work together to implement meaningful solutions — including those enabled by new technologies — to improve outcomes and help generate growth.
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Deadline Approaching to Complete Your 2026 FEDA Gold Awards Applications
The association is excited to again recognize the unique achievements of members during the Gold Awards presentation at the 2026 FEDA Annual Executive Leadership Conference. FEDA distributor and manufacturer members are encouraged to nominate their own companies, a colleague, or a team member for any of the five award categories.
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Alto-Shaam’s Second Serving Gives Foodservice Equipment a New Purpose
Alto-Shaam has launched Second Serving, a new donation program that provides eligible nonprofits with pre-owned foodservice equipment to help expand their operations while supporting Alto-Shaam’s sustainability initiatives.
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Welbilt Names New General Manager of Convotherm US
Welbilt has named Bill Thompson as general manager of Convotherm US, effective July 1. Thompson returns to the brand after more than a decade in leadership roles across Welbilt, bringing extensive experience in product management, marketing, and global sales.
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Industry Veteran Joins Spaceman Sales Team
Spaceman has named industry veteran Kris Byrd as director for the West and key accounts. Byrd brings more than 20 years of experience in foodservice beverage dispensing and will oversee the company's western territory and national accounts based in the region.
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Channel Manufacturing Expands Southern Sales Representation
Channel Manufacturing has expanded its sales network by appointing Wallin Foodservice Resources as its manufacturers' representative for MAFSI Region 14, strengthening support for customers across Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Western Tennessee.
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Know Your Players: How the Hunter-Farmer Sales Model Drives Growth for Distributors
Not all revenue is created the same way — and treating it as such can slow growth. In a distribution environment where even mom-and-pops are competing on a national level, the hunter-farmer sales model can provide one framework for successfully pursuing new business while still cultivating existing relationships. The premise is straightforward. Hunters thrive on prospecting, momentum, and the thrill of opening new doors. Farmers excel at deepening trust, expanding value, and ensuring that hard-won accounts stay and grow. Popularized as a way to balance the customer pipeline with long-term account management, the approach recognizes what sales leaders often discover through trial and error: the skills required to close a new customer often differ from those needed to retain and develop one. In this article, three distribution executives — Dustin Bennett, president of The Kitchen Guys; Eric Schmitt, president of Rapids & Affiliates; and Dave Stafford, president and CEO of Stafford-Smith — share how they apply, adapt, and build upon this model in their own sales organizations.
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Restaurant Industry Expected to Add Fewer Summer Jobs in 2026
The restaurant industry is projected to add 450,000 jobs this summer, about 19,000 fewer than last year. A new analysis from the National Restaurant Association attributes that decrease to a shallower labor pool of teenagers and young adults, who traditionally make up the majority of summer seasonal hires. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were roughly 6 million 16-to-19-year-olds in the labor force in April. While that number was 700,000 higher than the comparable pre-pandemic level in April 2019, it represents 200,000 fewer teenagers than in both April 2024 and April 2025.
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NAW Enters Federal Lawsuit Over California Packaging Law
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors has joined a 17-state coalition in a federal lawsuit challenging California's extended producer responsibility law, arguing it places unconstitutional requirements and fees on businesses selling into the state. The law requires businesses to register with and pay fees to the Circular Action Alliance (CAA), a private entity appointed by the state to set and collect fees on everything from glass and aluminum to paper, cardboard, and plastic packaging. CAA’s fee methodology is confidential, and businesses cannot challenge those fee assessments in court.
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Upcoming FEDA and Other Industry Events
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2026 FEDA Annual Conference
Sept. 15-18, 2026
LEARN MORE
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Full Calendar of Industry Events
Ongoing
LEARN MORE
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Support the FEDA Learn Institute
The FEDA Learn Institute is supported in part by donors to the FEDA Education Foundation, which develops important and relevant education and training programs for distributors. Learn about becoming a Diamond Donor and be recognized within FEDA for your support.
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The FEDA Weekly News is published by the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association. FEDA's mission is to provide advocacy, education, and service on behalf of foodservice equipment and supplies distributors and dealers.
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