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Day 2 at New York's IHMRS Show made for improved traffic in terms of both quantity and quality of buyers attending according to many of the tabletop exhibitors. Here are a few new items we saw in Day 2 that caught our eye and we think that you will find on the tabletops of top chefs and restaurateurs very soon.
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/
Starting with the CEO, brands are symbolized by the people who work for the brand. This is not new, but what is new is the relative lack of differentiation or “commoditization” of much of the tabletop category. TabletopJournal has spent a great deal of time writing about differentiation and how important it is on both the supplier and the operator side. However, the fact is that many of the tabletop products - and restaurants - are remarkably similar and barring any apparent unique points of difference, the buyer’s main decision driver will be price. With such similar products, the overall brand image has become the area to differentiate and the people who represent the brand have become an increasingly important area of differentiation. Fortessa adds several new Sales Vice Presidents, Dudson adds a VP, Sales for North America, Oneida continues it's upgrade and now, intergration of its new sister company Anchor Hocking, Libbey adds a new Director of Marketing, Rosenthal/Sambonet names a new National Account Manager, Tuxton does the same…..all with the idea that these new “brand ambassadors” will help build each company’s brand essence and culture in a positive direction. After all, often the employee IS the brand. TabletopJournal feels that this trend towards upgrading sales and marketing talent will continue with short term results certainly at the center of the target hiring goals. But, when looking to upgrade the organization, there is also a longer-term "brand makeup” goal that needs to be considered. When looking to add to an organization, how the new employee will contribute to the long-term brand attributes ..or, essence...has to be thought about.
TabletopJournal’s evangelism goes beyond simply focusing on cool products and extends to helping other talented, kindred spirits find one another and to help conpanies realize the importance of each and every hire, particularly for postions that have extensive customer interaction. Tabletop recruiter Mike Hawkins explains it well in his recent article “Recruiting Superior Tabletop Sales and Marketing Talent” and we are pleased to be able to bring his expertise to both hiring companies and to candidates.
Brand building is a long-term journey. And, the people you hire - your "brand ambassadors" are often the true long-term brand differentiators. Choose your people wisely. In yet another goodwill event, Fortessa is teaming up with local group Sterling Women and Reston Limousine to support Final Salute and raise money for homeless female Veterans. Final Salute Inc. was founded in 2010 by a female Veteran and cancer survivor who became aware of the large number of homeless female Veterans in the United States.There are about 13,000 homeless female Veterans in the United States today. From 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 1 at Fortessa, Inc., headquarters in Sterling, come taste some of the finest barbecue and best brewed beer Loudoun County has offer! There will be a silent auction, door prizes and special sale prices on Fortessa’s tableware. The auction items include a flight simulation experience donated by Lockheed Martin Corp.
Register early to attend the event at a discounted price of $15; early bird registration ends July 10. Or pay $25 at the door. Fortessa Inc. is located at 22601 Davis Drive in Sterling. Fifteen percent of Fortessa sales during the week of Aug. 1 will be donated to Final Salute Inc. Final Salute Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides housing and other supportive services to homeless female Veterans and their children. TabletopJournal says again that the foodservice industry - especially the chefs and tabletop suppliers - continues to have some of the most giving and benevolent individuals and companies to those who might be somehow less fortunate. This time its the people at leading tabletop company Fortessa supporting those with Cystic Fibrosis in the Washington, DC area by helping to sponsor, along with Chefs in The City, their annual fundraiser.
Nicely done. To see the collection of tabletop products available from Fortessa, go here: http://www.fortessa.com/ Fortessa, Inc., a leading, full-service tableware resource for the high end hospitality industry is pleased to announce its partnership with Darryl Rego of Provision Advisory Services LLC.
Darryl holds a Swiss Higher Diploma from the Ecole Hotelier de Montreux, Switzerland, and an Executive MBA from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. "We are excited to have Darryl as a partner at this important time in the revolution of the hotel business. He brings a wealth of insight and energy that aligns well with Fortessa's commitment to providing our customers with the best product, information, and resources to successfully manage their business," said Matt Broad, Fortessa's Executive Vice President, Commercial Foodservice. Fortessa looks forward to working together with Darryl in the coming months on key initiatives within the hospitality market.
Fortessa is an integrated designer, developer, and marketer of tabletop goods and accessories. Brands under the Fortessa® banner include Fortessa Dinnerware, the Accentz® collection, Fortessa Metalware™, and Schott Zwiesel® Crystal Glass. Its commitment to customer service and supply chain reliability make the organization an ideal partner for commercial foodservice operations and retailers alike. Provision offers a range of hospitality centered advisory services principally targeting emerging market strategy, hotel development, operation best practice and supply chain management. Provision is based in the Washington DC area and has representation in Dubai, UAE. Fortessa, a leading, full-service tableware provider to finer Hotels, Restaurants, Country Clubs, and Cruise Lines, is proud to announce the launch of its newest product showroom in New York City. Located at 215 Park Avenue, the new showroom is conveniently located across from Union Square. Fortessa's full-service tabletop solutions, including stainless steel tableware, dinnerware, and glassware, are prominently displayed for easy perusal by customers and guests. The showroom's friendly yet sophisticated design provides a venue for hospitality providers to bring their concerns to the table and speak face-to-face with a Fortessa representative who can help find solutions to their unique challenges. To schedule an appointment with a Fortessa representative in the New York showroom, please call 1-800-296-7508 ext. 333. To learn more about Fortessa and it's collections of dinnerware, glassware, and flatware, go here:
http://www.fortessa.com/ Tabletop leader Fortessa has introduced a small cast-aluminum skillet to its new Fortalite Cassolette line of cast aluminum cookware. From back of the house to front of the house, this high-grade cast aluminum line of cookware is tough enough to get the job done in the oven, yet attractive enough to use on the table. TabletopJournal wrote about the Fortalite Cassolette line when Fortessa introduced it last fall and included their video (Fortessa does a great job with their video library!) This lightweight cast aluminum cookware line has a number of advantages over traditional cast iron cookware, including that there’s never any rust so you don’t have to worry about maintenance and the high-grade aluminum that Fortessa uses makes the heat spread evenly in the oven for consistent cooking throughout. The Fortalite non-stick surface allows it to go right to the table to enhance the guest dining experience. And....Fortessa's Fortalite Cassolette pieces cost less than traditional cast iron cookware pieces. You can see the entire line of Fortalite Cassolette cookware pieces by going to: http://www.fortessa.com/ and downloading their catalog.
Let's review.... .....individual serving sizes......cooks evenly.....no maintenence......costs less.....Any questions? Fortessa. Leading The Way in Tableware. Recently, a link to a Fortessa webpage was forwarded to us and we thought it was a little remarkable.
http://www.pages05.net/fortessa/schott-zwiesel/ First, we liked Fortessa's implied guarantee of availablility for the Schott Zweisel glassware. Certainly, the ease of re-orders is important and highlighting this with a memorable phrase of "We Won't Love You and Leave You" helps etch that in the reader's mind. TabletopJournal likes it when we see companies using service as a branding differentiator. Great customer service is often mentioned, but not as often practiced. Saying it like Fortessa is on this page makes it a promise. So,... Nicely done. Secondly, the fact that Fortessa displayed the pricing of the glassware stems was also interesting. Not sure if this webpage was from Fortessa's consumer side of their website, but having the pricing displayed along side the product like it is on this page is something we don't always see. Again,...nicely done. But, then again, Fortessa does a lot of things well.....don't they. Fortessa: Raising The Standards for Dinnerware Presentation With TELA and TAURA Bone China1/30/2012
Fortessa has recently launched a new video showcasing two of its beautiful bone china ranges - TELA and TAURA. Fortessa's TELA shape features a great sweeping embossed design which helps make a dramatic presentation on any tabletop and while the TAURA shape has soft clean lines with a flat rim perfect for adding just a touch of decoration or a club seal or crest. Fortessa'as TELA shape (left and center) has two versions of its 12 /14" plate - with a smaller 5 1/2" well area or one with a bit larger 6 1/2" well area. Fortessa's TAURA shape (right) shows its beauty and grace while having ample area to add a bit of color decoration to compliment the guest dining experience.
Fortessa bone china features the endge strength, creamy white color, and translucency of true bone china, one of the most durable and versatile product compositions on the market. With its light weight, combined with its high strength, Fortessa's bone china is setting new standards for presentation. You can see the entire lineup of Fortessa and Schott Zweisel crystal items by going here: http://www.fortessa.com/
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