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Improved margins and strong expense controls propelled Libbey to a 108.5 percent gain in third-quarter net income, to $14.9 million. Stephanie Streeter, Libbey's CEO, attributed the strong bottom line to its “increased focus on driving down costs and defending and growing our key markets, the core of our recently announced strategic plan.” A reduction in cost of sales helped boost gross margin for the quarter, which ended on Sept. 30, by 282 basis points to 24.5 percent. Selling, general and administrative expenses rose 0.5 percent in dollars but were shaved by four basis points as a percentage of sales, to 12.9 percent. Net sales in the quarter, which ended on Sept. 30, rose by a scant 0.9 percent to $209.2 million. Leading the way in sales were Libbey’s China region, whose sales jumped 13 percent, and the Mexico region, whose sales rose 9 percent. Sales in the United States and Canada edged up 1 percent, and sales in Europe fell 9.7 percent. “We are committed to further improving our cost structure, leveraging our advantaged businesses and strengthening our balance sheet,” Streeter said. “We believe these efforts, combined with our overall productivity improvements, will enable strengthened financial and operational performance.” You can see the entire range of products that Libbey has for the foodservice segment by going here:http://foodservice.libbey.com/
Int'l Food & Beverage Forum: More Auction Items Come In As Online Bidding Is Set to Start10/24/2012
The online auction for The Food & Beverage Forum's Hall of Fame Summit is set to begin with online bidding on Thursday, Oct 25th at 6 AM EST and thanks to many last minute entries they now have 164 Auction items with a value over $ 200,000.00! Most on-line auction items are already posted on line but the full range of on-line and live auction items will be on line latest Saturday. Here's a direct link to the The Int'l Food & Beverage Forum Hall of Fame Summit auction item list: http://www.ifandbforumhalloffamesummit.com/auctions_2012.asp
From the local Stoke on Trent newspaper, The Sentinel: Manufacturer Dudson has recruited 11 apprentices in a bid to combat the increasing skills shortage facing the ceramics industry. It is the first time the Tunstall tableware specialist has put an official apprenticeship programme in place and it is hoping to expand the scheme. Dudson, which employs about 405 people at its Scotia Road headquarters, says it has been struggling to recruit people with the required skills. HR manager Sarah O'Hanlon said: "Either we don't get any applications or they are from people who don't have the right skills." Operations director Mark Dudson said: "The problem we've got in the industry is the lack of skilled young people coming in. We have an ageing workforce so it's crucial we do something about it. We have taken on apprentices in fits and starts before but now we have got a structured apprenticeship programme in place for the first time and it's here to stay." Dudson's newest recruits are completing 12-month apprenticeships in manufacturing operations, manufacturing ceramics or business administration.
Mark said: "We are starting to multi-skill them by moving them around the different departments. We have got production managers who started out on apprenticeship schemes so they have some good examples of where they can get to. The whole point of the programme is to bring young people in and provide them with skills, because it helps give us longevity in UK manufacturing. I would like to think they will be here in 20 or 30 years. We'll be looking to expand the programme in future years without a doubt." Kerry Deakin, aged 19, of Hanford, has been at Dudson for around seven weeks. She said: "When I came out of college I couldn't find a job for a year, so I was really pleased to get this. It's a great way to start a career." To read the entire article, go here: http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Pottery-maker-targeting-young-secure-future/story-17167544-detail/story.html To learn about the entire range of Dudson products for the hospitality trade, go here: http://www.dudson.com/
Among them are such lines like the Minners Classic Cocktails collection of cocktail glasses, the Crucial Detail line of unique serving pieces, WNK flatware and buffetware, andCanyon line of chafers. In addition, the Narumi line of upscale and elegant dinnerware - perfect for upscale banquets or afternoon tea service, the Anfora line of casualware from Mexico, and Rona glassware round out the Steelite offering. In the time since John Miles took the leadership reins at the company's U.S. operations, the breadth of Steelite'soffering has dramatically increased and allows the company to fit nearly any operator...at nearly any level of service. We're pleased to have gotten one of the tabletop's busiest executives to sit and tell us a bit about himself and the exciting company he leads. 1. The Steelite brand has changed a lot since you joined, I’m sure our readers would be interested to know what you did prior to Steelite, and more importantly, how it prepared you for your current position. I have been around the hospitality tabletop business my whole life. My father was a manufacturing manager at Shenango China here in New Castle. I worked my way through college, and then a few years after college at Woodmere China. I did really every job in the place. Woodmere was a really great foundation to understand how products were sourced or manufactured, and how to sell a value added product. I gained a real appreciation for design and how to treat a customer at Woodmere that has remained with me. From Woodmere, I worked with The Homer Laughlin China Co. for a few years, where I learned how to work with distribution. I have been with Steelite for 16 years.
3. Foodservice tabletop distribution in the U.S. seems to be continually evolving…where do you see it headed from here? I think it breaks down to case movers that work off cost plus and dealers that add value. The emergence of a very well educated consumer is causing the resurgence of the independent operator which in turn is driving the requirement for a better educated dealer sales rep that can help solve challenges and bring good, fresh ideas. We look at foodservice distribution from a tableware perspective and we see focusing on the end user to help bring the creativity that sometimes a cost plus deal does not afford a distributor to bring along. We also focus on educating dealer sales reps on how to add value in street sales as well as national accounts. 4. The breadth of products and brands available from Steelite USA is incredibly wide….what should operators expect next from Steelite in terms of new products? We are hugely excited about our 2013 product launch, as we plan to introduce in excess of 600 new stock SKU's. We continue to see huge potential in all areas of the tableware business, as a result, we will launch several new ceramic shapes at all price points, 3 new 18-10 flatware shapes, a new line of melamine, several dozen new market driven items in glass barware, and two new stemware shapes. We have just started to look at 2014 product launches and I anticipate we will introduce the same volume of new products in 2014. 5. Your company has announced a new factory is planned in Stoke-On Trent. What will it produce and when do you anticipate it up and running? We are 100% committed to continuing to manufacture the Steelite branded product 100% at our factory in Stoke-On-Trent. We are embarking on a multiphase expansion of manufacturing at the facility. The first phase will focus on expanded capacity for our current range of products. The second phase is a few years out and would focus on production of additional body compositions within our Stoke-on-Trent campus.
Finally, we see a real growth in unique shape solutions in hotel banqueting operations. We have developed a number of unique embossed rim shapes that all take the same plate cover. We are seeing real results with the operators. 7. Final question…..what’s on the John Miles iPod or what music are you currently listening to and liking?
I am fairly eclectic when it comes to music. I like the new Springsteen Wrecking Ball collection, I am a huge CCR fan, and I also really like Jack Johnson and Violent Femmes. I listen to everything and try to appreciate as much as possible.
We had mentioned before that the WWRD hospitality brands were finally getting together in America and other parts of the world. Nice to see such high quality, premier brands - and products - being marketed together. There are few global brands that carry the panache and sophistication of the WWRD brands.
Having all three brands under a single marketing "roof" insures that customers will enjoy the benefits of knowing they are dealing directly with one of the world's great tabletop producers. WWRD ownership's recent committment to investing in the company's heritage and brand experience insures that the quality products that Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, and Waterford have been known are sure to continue for generations to come. You can view the entire range of WWRD hospitality products by going here:
http://www.wwrdhospitality.com/ Accoridng to the Loudon County Times newspaper, former governor and current Virginia Senate candidate George Allen addressed employees at Fortessa Inc., in Sterling Monday, saying his goal if elected is to make sure the federal government gets out of the way of businesses and innovation.
Touching on a common campaign theme, Allen said he wants to drop the average business tax rate nationally from 35 percent to 20 percent, because the world average is around 25 percent, and America should be “better than average,” he noted. Allen, the Republican who’s locked in a tight race with Tim Kaine, another former governor of Virginia, touched also on energy policy, a local approach to education and the Senate’s inability to pass a budget in recent years. “If you didn’t deliver these glasses or those plates or those dishes, would you get paid? No,” Allen said at the Loudoun County tableware manufacturer. “I think that’s the way it ought to be in Congress – if they don’t get appropriations, budgets, done on time, withhold their pay. We need to get back to the basics.” Allen supports a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution for the federal government, and is a major advocate of line-item veto authority for the president. A former governor, state delegate and U.S. representative, Allen is seeking to reclaim the Senate seat he held from 2001-2007. He lost the 2006 election to Sen. Jim Webb in a close general election race. Webb is not seeking re-election. During the question and answer portion of the campaign stop, Debra Taylor, Fortessa’s director of operations, asked Allen about his thoughts on the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which he voted against in 1993 as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The FMLA requires covered employers to provide workers job-protected and unpaid leave for certain medical and family reasons. “I generally don’t like mandates,” Allen said. “ … I do think any responsible employer will allow families – employees – to have the leave with their families, whether it’s a birth or an adoption or a member is ill.” Allen went on to say he believes the law has worked well, and he wouldn’t vote to change it if elected. To read the entire article, go here: http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/in_sterling_senate-hopeful_allen_talks_jobs_small_government421/
The organic curved edges and soft styling of the new GLIDE range from Churchill China adds individual and statement style to the tabletop. Available across a number of items including contemporary square plates, bowls and unique serving pieces GLIDE provides chefs with unlimited opportunities for presentation. Taking the concept from a demand for softer shapes and a contemporary alternative to a traditional rim, Churchill's New Product Development team have worked on a range which is sculptured, modern and versatile with meticulous attention to size, scale and in service use. Churchill's new GLIDE range is designed to help establishments create an individual and memorable identity or to complement existing tableware as accent or signature style dishes that add value to a menu. It also has pieces that enhance unique presentation on a buffet section or as accompaniments and side dishes on the tabletop. According to Churchill's Head of New Product Development, Vanessa Carter, "When designing this collection we have looked at the market and how establishments are personalising the whole brand experience and wanted to offer something completely different from our other ranges. We also wanted pieces which could add value to existing menus by offering different sizes and shapes which are versatile and can be used as menu add-ons or special dishes. Glide offers a contemporary style, which retains all of the technical and practical elements of our tableware, so is as desirable back of house as it is on the table". Churchill China's new GLIDE range has a wide variety of items from which chefs can choose: Square dinner plates - statement style with a completely flat centre for food display and a soft curved frame to create a signature style; Slanted bowls - deeper at the back with a low presentation profile at the front this piece is perfect for salads or as part of a buffet presentation; Square bowls in 4 different sizes; Oval dishes in 2 sizes Round bowls in 2 sizes. All can be combined and used across a variety of dishes. To learn more about GLIDE and all the other hospitality products from Churchill China, go here:
http://www.churchillchina.com/ Villeroy & Boch CERA. A combination of natural lines, expressive forms, attractive design and a mix of porcelain and glass materials to create a gorgeously simple....and stunning, tabletop. Life is complicated. Isn't it nice when your tabletop isn't? You can view the entire collection of Villeroy & Boch products for the hospitality tabletop by going here:
http://www.villeroy-boch.com/en/us/hotel-restaurant.html |
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