EMI Industries Blog

We are very excited to announce that EMI Industries was featured on the March 2013 issue of Retail Environments magazine from the Association for Retail Environments. The feature focuses on our innovative multi-regional strategy, which allows all five EMI locations (Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Texas) to work together to balance workload and cater to our customer’s special requirements and individual geographic locations. 

EMI’s multi-regional strategy allows us to be flexible, sustainable and to keep costs and shipping times down. These are unique capabilities that many of our clients take advantage of.  Since each of our locations uses consistent equipment and software, our customers are granted the key benefit of being able to have their orders built and shipped from the EMI location most beneficial to them; all without ever sacrificing quality. This gives our customers a competitive advantage and relieves some of the headache and stress associated with growing a business. And this is what EMI Industries is here for: To provide service and innovation that exceeds our customer’s expectations. 

Read the interesting feature by CLICKING HERE. 

To find out more about the Association for Retail Environments, or A.R.E, please visit their website at www.retailenvironments.org

Sincerely,

Jim Stifler

Executive Vice President & CSO

There seemed to me to be a lot more activity at NAFEM this year than I saw at the ’09 show. According to official sources, there was about 25% more booth space sold this year and while I haven’t yet heard the attendance figures, the show aisles seemed much more populated than they were two years ago. Of course we are lucky to have it here in Florida (and I understand it will be here for the next three shows also) as more of our dealers and their personnel can easily and cheaply attend. I was talking with Steve Rooney, GM at our Cranston location who said he had several dealers that came with a large contingent of people and a number that didn’t send anyone. I saw Strategic people in their blue button down collar shirts/uniforms everywhere. Talking with Sharon from the Tampa branch, the company had meetings and equipment demonstrations set-up with various suppliers to occupy most of the day all three days.
Sustainability/LEED still seemed to be prevalent in many of the booths but I got the feeling that it was very much like I have witnessed with many of our retail customers, they want to be seen as being leaders in the green movement but haven’t really included  the philosophy in everything they do and all of their products. On this score I can assure you, EMI truly is an industry leader. We have totally embraced the ecological impact of our facilities and the products being produced. And, it is not just talk or a few products, we have the data to show any dealer, consultant or end using account that is interested. Bring this up when you are talking EMI. Even for those people that aren’t thinking of sustainability, as a current hot topic, it is another feature a dealer or consultant can use to help make the sale to their customer. One thing I have found over the last few years that is true in all cases, any customer given the option to purchase a product that is shown to have green attributes vs. another that sells for a similar price but can make no such claims, the green product will win the sale every time. Nobody wants to pay more for it but everyone wants to feel like they are doing the right thing for plant earth.

The other major trend I witnessed at the show was, Curves.

Serving lines, sneeze guards, display cases, even cooktops were being shown in various rounded lineups. From the manufacturing side, I was interested in several fairly complex ‘S’ shaped stainless steel serving counters. Certainly every manufacture puts considerable extra effort into the pieces being displayed in their booths.  Everyone knows that is not how the product will look when they buy it, but it helps make it standout at the show. Occasionally, someone like a Hyatt or a Radisson will see these and want a similar look for a display kitchen. If a consultant or end-user asks for it, EMI is certainly capable of supplying to whatever level of footprint and/or finish that is required. We just need to know this upfront. Curves cost more than straight lines and the more polishing that needs to be done, the greater the cost.  (See above photo of a curved school counter we did last summer.)
I was reading a blog regarding the NAFEM show yesterday. In it was the following, A consultant remarked wistfully, “I know what I want when it comes to the serving equipment for a new project. I just have to find someone to build it." Maybe EMI should have had a booth. When it comes to filling a vision, know this; We Can Build It.