Gold Award Spotlight: Chris Fisher, Nemco Food Equipment

One of the reasons you were recognized is that you put together an entire timeline and rollout plan for a national chain, a task that is usually completed on the operations side. How did you become involved with that and what did you learn from the experience?

The project was for a popular fast-casual chain and involved the development and deployment of a new equipment solution. As the project progressed, it became clear that there were gaps between engineering, production, and assembly that could put our timeline commitment at risk. Because I was closely involved with the customer relationship and understood the importance of the launch to their operations, I stepped in to help create a comprehensive timeline and rollout plan that aligned all of our internal teams around a common objective. The rollout included new product development, equipment testing and validation, tooling implementation, and a deployment schedule that would allow them to efficiently introduce the solution across their locations. One of the biggest challenges was coordinating new tooling while maintaining an aggressive timeline and ensuring we delivered on our commitments.

What I learned from the experience is that successful execution requires much more than a good plan. It requires constant communication, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to be agile and adapt when challenges arise. By creating strong alignment between department leaders and keeping everyone focused on the customer’s goals, we were able to meet our commitments and help them implement meaningful labor-saving improvements in their operations.

Most importantly, the experience reinforced my belief that creating a “wow” moment for customers is a company-wide effort. When every department works together with a shared purpose, we can deliver outcomes that exceed expectations and create lasting value for our customers.

What skills did you need to build or develop to make the rollout a success?

While the project didn’t require me to develop entirely new skills, it did require me to rely heavily on cross-functional leadership and communication in both executive and customer messaging. Success depended on aligning multiple departments around a common goal, keeping the rest of leadership informed of progress and risks, and maintaining transparency with the customer throughout the process. The experience also reinforced the value of Nemco’s unique strengths and core values: our agility, collaborative culture, and customer-centered approach. By leveraging those strengths, we were able to navigate the challenges, stay aligned internally, and deliver our commitments to the customer.

Your department was the first in the company to implement major AI automations. Can you tell us a little about those two implementations and how they’re changing Nemco’s sales operations?

Our first major AI initiative was a project called Y-Meadows, which focuses on order entry automation. We identified portions of the order entry process that were repetitive and did not require human judgment and automated those tasks. The goal was never to replace people, but rather to eliminate non-value-added work and allow our customer experience team to focus on activities that create greater value for customers. As a result, we’ve been able to dedicate more time to proactive outreach with our dealer network, particularly with customers we may not interact with as frequently. Those additional touchpoints help strengthen relationships, uncover new opportunities, and improve responsiveness when customers need support. By reducing administrative workload, our team can spend more time doing what matters most, building relationships and helping our dealers succeed.

Our second AI initiative is currently under development and will launch in the coming months. We are building an AI-powered chatbot called “Eddy,” named in honor of our founder, Ed Neidhart. Eddy is designed to simplify how customers access information and resources on our website. For example, if a restaurant operator needs to identify the correct replacement part late in the evening after their business and ours have closed, they can simply ask Eddy rather than spending time navigating through multiple pages of information. We expect Eddy will be just as useful to our dealer salespeople, reps, and our own team members.

We view Eddy as an extension of our commitment to customer service. As we continue to expand its knowledge base, its capabilities will grow, allowing customers to find answers faster and access support whenever they need it. It’s still too early to quantify just how these initiatives have improved our sales and customer service operations, but I expect over the next year we will start to gauge it.

How did you measure the progress and success of those AI implementations? Did anything change about your approach as a result of that tracking? 

We track traditional operational metrics such as order-entry cycle times and processing capacity. Those measures are important because they help us understand whether the technology is performing as intended. However, from the beginning, our primary objective was not simply to process more orders or reduce manual work. The real goal was to free our team from repetitive administrative tasks so they could spend more time creating value for customers.

Because of that, some of the most meaningful indicators of success are less tangible. We have to look at how effectively our teams are engaging with customers, the quality of those interactions, the reduced reply times, and ultimately the impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty. That mindset has influenced our approach to AI adoption. Rather than asking, “How many tasks can we automate?” we ask, “How can we use this amazing technology to help our people deliver a better customer experience?” The metrics help us validate the efficiency gains, but the true measure of success is whether we are strengthening relationships and creating more value for our customers.

How is your department’s use of AI setting the stage for wider adoption throughout Nemco? What have you learned that may help other parts of the company? 

Our AI initiatives are part of a broader companywide commitment to embracing new technology, a mindset that starts with our executive leadership team. As we’ve explored automation within sales and customer experience, other departments have begun identifying opportunities of their own. For example, our manufacturing team is evaluating how AI can enhance quality control processes. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that AI isn’t something to fear; it’s something to embrace. The technology is here to stay, and the organizations that benefit most will be those that use it to enhance the work only its people can do. With routine tasks automated, employees can spend more time applying their creativity, judgment, and relationship skills where they create the greatest value.

Technology itself is not a competitive advantage; rather, how people choose to use it is. The companies that succeed will be those that combine powerful tools with talented people who are willing to learn, adapt, and innovate.

As you look ahead in your career, what excites you about the future of the foodservice equipment and supplies industry? 

I am excited by the convergence of industry growth and technological advancement. Continued innovations in automation, AI, and equipment technology create tremendous opportunities to solve customer challenges and drive growth. If we are open and willing to adapt and innovate, it will create lasting value in an industry that continues to evolve.